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Chap. .^^XJ.hA'] 

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I C -1 

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 



JOURNAL 



OF 



WILLIAM PENN. 









OF 



William Penn, 



WHILE VISITING 



HOLLAND AND GERMANY, 



IN 1677. 



PHILADELPHIA: 
FRIENDS' BOOK-STORE, 

No. 304 ARCH STREET. 
1878. 



'nutipmAftTl 

VOOMftM 



\ 



1 



^% 



PREFACE. 



n^HIS ensuing journal of my travels in Holland and 
-■- Germany, in the service of the Gospel of my Lord 
and Saviour Jesus Christ, was written for my own satis- 
faction, and that of some relations and particular friends, 
as the long time it has lain silent shows. But a copy that 
was found amongst the late Countess of Conway's papers 
falling into the hands of a person who much frequented 
tliat family, he was earnest with me, both by himself and 
others, to have leave to publish it for a common good. 
Upon perusal, I have found a willingness to comply with 
[this request], hoping that the Lord will make the read- 
ing of it effectual to some into whose hands it may fall ; 
— as well those who have received a dispensation of the 
same ministry, for their encouragement in their public 
service for God, as those who are under the same ministry, 
unto zeal and faithfulness. 

For it is the glorious Gospel-day, in Avhich God is ex- 
alting his dear Son, as Prophet, Priest, and King, in the 
hearts of his people. Oh, that the nations would hear Him, 
their only saving health, and Israel's great Shepherd! 
who takes care of his sheep, that hear his voice, and 
gives unto them that follow him in the daily cross unto 



Vll 



VIU PKEFACE. 

regeneration, eternal life. He hath sent, and is sending, 
forth his servants, to gather home the sheep that are gone 
astray in all nations, that so there may be but one 
Shepherd and one sheep-fold ; according to the glorious 
promise made to these latter times, in which He said, He 
would be the teacher of his people himself. For He is 
teaching thousands, by the Light, Spirit, and Grace of 
his Son Christ, in whom He is well pleased. To this, 
God hath sent forth his servants in this day, to turn all 
people, as God's call and visitation to the nations ; and 
blessed are all those who hearken to this testimony, both 
mediately and immediately. 

God is awakening men to the knowledge of his glory 
in the face or appearance of Christ, by his Spirit in their 
hearts and consciences, which reveals to men the Father, 
yea, the deep things of God. Oh, that they would hear 
and fear, and learn the things that make for their eternal 
peace ! For if the righteous scarcely are saved, where, oh,, 
where, shall they appear that neglect so great salvation ! 
— a salvation that comes so near them as to knock at the 
door of their hearts ; that searches them and tries their 
reins, and tells unto them their most inward thoughts ;, 
and brings a line of judgment over all their words and 
works. This is Christ Jesus, the Light of the world, w'ho 
was given of God for salvation to the ends of the earth. 
He has enlightened all, and shines to all, and calls all, 
that they should see their sins and be sorry for them, and 
forsake them, and take up his daily cross and follow Him, 



PKEFACE. IX 

whom God hath given for an example as well as a propi- 
tiation for our sins. And none can know him to be their 
propitiation, who reject him as their example and leader 
in their lives and conversations. Wherefore, reader, be 
serious, inward, and inquisitive for thy soul's sake. What 
faith hast thou ? Is it one that overcomes the world, or 
one that the spirit of the world overcomes ? This is not 
the faith of God's elect, without which we cannot please 
God. For that faith works by love. Is it such a love to 
God as will not offend him, but seeks his glory through a 
most willing obedience to his holy will ? Blessed are the 
souls in whom this love dwells ! For such have none in 
heaven but God, nor in the earth in comparison of him. 
As they receive all good from him, so they resign -all up 
to him ; and though it be through many tribulations that 
they must attain the rest of God, yet as nothing can 
separate them from his love, so neither can anything de^ 
prive them of their reward in the end. 

Wherefore, reader, be thou persuaded to take thy lot 
among that blessed number, if thou art not yet one of 
them. Thou seest the way to that Divine privilege ; walk 
in it ; for the end crowns all. And if thou art one of 
that number who have chosen God for their portion, be 
diligent, zealous and fervent in the work and service of 
God. Redeem thy time, and run thy race with care and 
constancy ; looking unto Jesus, the author, that He may 
be the finisher of thy faith. Remember who said, there 
are many mansions prepared for the faithful. Do we 



X PREFACE. 

believe and look for another world ? Let us not then live 
in this as if there were no other. Let our eyes be upon 
our better world, and live here as strangers who are but 
on our way to our eternal home ; that so we may answer 
the end of God's love, by working out the salvation of our 
own souls by his power with fear and trembling ; knowing 
that God will judge all, by Christ Jesus, according to the 
deeds done in the body. 

Reader, this journal is of a religious voyage, and has 
some passages in it that may engage thy soul to serious- 
ness, and let thee see how good God is to those that go of 
his holy errands. Mayst thou be heartily affected with 
this testimony of his love and presence with his people ; 
and feel good desires raised in thee to serve the Lord also, 
according to his blessed will, in thy day; that thou mayst 
know peace to thy soul, when time here shall be no more. 

I am thy assured friend in the best things, 

William Penn. 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTEE I. 

TAQK 

Leave - taking — Rotterdam — Amsterdam — General Meeting 

— Letter to the King of Poland — Osnaburg — Herwerden 

— Princess Elizabeth — De Labadie and Company — Letter 
from Princess Elizabeth 13 

CHAPTER II. 

Interviews with Princess Elizabeth and Countess of Homes — 
Meetings in the Family of the Princess — Paderborn — 
Cassel — Frankfort 37 

CHAPTER III. 

Epistle to the Churches 50 

CHAPTER ly. 

Krisheim — Epistle to Princess Elizabeth and Countess de 
Homes — Manheim — Letter to the Prince Elector Palatine 
of Heidelburg — Meetings at Krisheim — Worms — Frank- 
fort — Mentz — Cologne — Duysburg — Countess of Falken- 
stein — Sent out of his Territory by the Graef . . .68 

CHAPTER V. 

Epistle to Countess of Falken stein — Letter to the Graef — 
Interview with Dr. Mastricht — Meeting at Wesel — Re- 
ligious Opportunity with a Lady at Cleves . . . .88 

xi 



XU CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER yi. 

PAGE 

Keturn to Amsterdam — Letter from Princess Elizabeth — Goes 
into Friesland — Meets G. Fox — Monthly Meeting settled 
at Harlingen — Interesting Meeting — Letter to J. Eleonora 
Malane — Wiewart — Interview with Anna Maria Schur- 
mans and other followers of J. de Labadie — Groningen . 106 

CHAPTER yil. 

Letter concerning Separatists — Embden — Interview with 
Dr. Andrews — Bremen — Interesting Interviews with sev- 
eral Persons — Keturn to Plerwerden — Religious Engage- 
ments in the Family of the Princess 128 

CHAPTER VIII. 

Further Religious Service in the Family of the Princess — 
Graef of Donau — Parting Interview — Journey to Wesel — 
Letter to Countess of Homes, containing Narrative of Jour- 
ney — Dusseldorf — Meeting at Wesel — Return to Amster- 
dam — End of Letter . . 143 

CHAPTER IX. 

Meeting with G. Abrahams — Interviews with different Persons 
— Has an interesting Interview with a retired great man at 
Wonderwick — Delft — Public Meetings — Letter to Prin- 
cess Elizabeth — Letter to Countess of Homes — Embarks 
for Home — Arrives at Harwich — Salutation to Friends of 
Holland and Germany — Epistle to those under Suffering 
in Holland and Germany 166 



joxjii:na.l. 



CHAPTER I. 

Leave - taking — Rotterdam — Amsterdam — General Meeting — 
Letter to the King of Poland — Osnaburg — Herwerden — 
Princess Elizabeth — De Labadie and Company — Letter from 
Princess Elizabeth. 

ON the 22nd of the fifth month, 1677, being the 
first-daj of the week, I left my dear wife and 
family at Worminghurst, in Sussex, in the fear and 
love of God, and came well to London that night. 
The next day I employed myself on Friends' behalf, 
who were in sufferings, until the evening ; and then 
went to my own mother's in Essex. 

On the 24th I took my journey to Colchester, and 
met George Watts of London upon the way ; who re- 
turned with me, and came well to that town the same 
evening. We lodged at John Furly's the elder, and 
had a blessed meeting at Jonathan Furly's house, that 
night. 

The next morning early I left Colchester, and came 

to Harwich about noon, accompanied by George Watts 
2 13 



14 JOUKNAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 

and John Fiirly the elder, William Tailcoat, and J. 
Whiterly of Colchester, where we found dear George 
Fox at J. Vanderwall's house, with many more Friends. 
After dinner Ave all went to the meeting, where the 
Lord gave us a blessed earnest of his love and presence, 
that should be with us in this voyage. For his holy, 
overcoming, refreshing power did open all our hearts, 
and many of our mouths in ministry, prayer, and praises, 
to the magnifying of his own name and Truth in that 
place. 

The meeting done, we returned to John Vander- 
wall's house, where we took our leave of Friends ; that 
is to say, of the Friends of that place, with others that 
came with us, or met us there. And so we went on 
board the packet-boat : where, by the special favor of 
the master of the packets to me, (he having formerly 
served under my fatlier,) we had the best accommoda- 
tion given to us. Many of the Friends accompanied 
us to the ship, not leaving us until all was tixed ; and 
then we parted in the fellowship of Jesus. 

Those that came over, were George Fox, Kobert 
Barclay, G. Keith, G. Watts, John Furly, William 
Tailcoat, Isabel Yeomans, Elizabeth Keith, and my- 
self, with two of our servants. 

VV'^e set sail about three o'clock in the mornino; of 
the 26th, being the fifth-day of the week, and got the 
sixth-day at night within half a league of the Briel. 
^W^ had good service those two days in the ship with 
several passengers, French and Dutch ; and though 
they seemed at first to be shy of us, and to slight us, 



JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 15 

yet at last their hearts were much opened in kindness 
towards us, and the universal principle had place. 

The next morning Friends were fetched on shore 
by a boat of Rotterdam, with some Friends of that 
city who came to the Briel to meet us. The Friends 
that came were Aaron Sonnemans, Benjamin Furly, 
aiid S. Johnson, Vettekeuken, with three young men 
that live at B. Furly's house. After we had eaten, we 
took boat immediately for Rotterdam, where we ar- 
rived about noon, and where many Friends came to 
see us, among whom we were comforted. 

On the 29th, being tlie first-day of the week, we had 
two meetings at B. Furly's house; whither resorted a 
great company of people, some of them being of the 
most considerable note in that city; and blessed be the 
true Word of life, that never failed them that rest upon 
it and abide in it ! the Gospel was preached, the dead 
were raised, and the living comforted ; God, even our 
God, bore heavenly record to his only begotten Son ; 
and truth is honorable in the eyes of several of that 
place. 

The next day w^e spent in visiting Friends from 
house to house, not in one company, being lodged in 
several quarters of the city. All our visits were pre- 
cious meetings; for, indeed, for that end God brought 
us into this land. Several of us dined and supped 
that day at two great men^s houses, where we had 
blessed opportunities to make known unto them what 
was the hope of our glory; that mystery, which to the 
Gentiles is now revealing, even Christ Jesus, the light 
and life of the world manifested in us. 



16 JOUENAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 

On the 31st G. R, J. F., W. T., and myself, after 
having broken our fast at A. Sonnemans', took boat 
for Leyden, where we came that night, in order to be 
at Harlem next day at a meeting appointed by G. F. 
and myself from Rotterdam : being accompanied by 
J. BocliiFs, J. Arents, and J. Glaus, who came from 
Amsterdam on pur^iose to conduct us thither. 

At Harlem we arrived about the eleventh hour, and 
went to the house of a good old man, who had long 
waited for, and is now come to behold the consolation 
and salvation of Israel. After we had a little refreshed 
ourselves, we went to the meeting, where the Lord 
•gave us a blessed oi)portunity, not only with respect to 
Friends, but many sober Baptists and professors who 
came in and stayed the meeting to the end : blessed be 
the name of the Lord. 

The meeting done, we went to Amsterdam, in com- 
pany Avith several Friends of that city, and of Alk- 
maer and Embden, who met us at the meeting at 
Harlem. We were lodged at Gertrude Dirick's house. 
G. K. and his wife and R. B. stayed over the fourth- 
day's meeting at Rotterdam, and so came not till the 
next day ; Avhich was the day of the General Meeting 
of Friends in this country. 

On the 2nd of the sixth month, at G. D.'s house, the 
General Meeting was held, both of men and women : 
and the Lord, who is setting up his own kingdom by 
his own power, owned us with his blessed presence, 
and opened us in that wisdom and love, that all things 
ended with peace, great concord, and comfort : many 



JOUENAL OF WILLIAM PEXN. 17 

things being spoken, especially by our dear friend G. 
F., that were of good service ; and I hope will dwell 
with them forever. 

These several things agreed upon, being of good 
savor and report, I think fit here to insert : 

" At the General Meeting of Friends at Amsterdam, the 
2nd of the sixth month, 1677. 

"1. Be it known to all men, that the power of God, 
the Gospel, is the authority of all our men's and 
women's meetings ; and every heir of that power is an 
heir of that authority, and so becometh a living mem- 
ber of right of either of those meetings, and of the 
heavenly fellowship and order in which they stand ; 
which is not of man, nor by man. 

" 2. That each Monthly Meeting have a collection 
apart ; and also that there be another collection quar- 
terly at Amsterdam from each meeting, for general 
services ; and that it be not disposed of, but by the 
consent of the said Quarterly Meeting. 

" 3. It is agreed upon, that henceforth a Yearly 

Meeting be held here at Amsterdam ; unto w^hich 

Friends in the Palatinate, Hamburgh, Lubeck, and 

Fredericstadt, etc., be invited ; of which meeting there 

shall be given notice to the Friends of the Yearly 

Meeting at London, to be kept always on the fifth-day 

of that week, w4iich is fully the third week following 

after the Yearlv Meetino; at London. 

^' 4. It is also agreed upon, that henceforth this 
2* li 



18 JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 

General Meeting is to be changed into a Quarterly- 
Meeting : and that the first Quarterly Meeting here- 
after shall be on the second fifth-day of the ninth 
month following, and so forth every quarter on the 
second fifth-day of the month. This 2nd of the ninth 
mouth is to be this first Quarterly Meeting. 

" 5. It is also agreed, that henceforth a Monthly 
Meeting in Friesland should be established, as also at 
Rotterdam ; and that on the second second-day of each 
mouth : and at Harlingen upon the third third-day of 
the month. 

"6. Further, that in the interim, the Friends of 
Alkmaer, and Harlem, and Waterland, are to have 
their Monthly Meeting with Friends at Amsterdam : 
and to begin the said meeting the Cth day of the seventh 
month, and so forth ; always upon the first second-day 
of the month at the eighth hour. 

'' 7. And further, concerning Gospel order : though 
the doctrine of Christ Jesus requireth his people to 
admoni.?h a brother or sister twice, before they tell the 
church ; yet that limiteth none, so as they shall use no 
longer forbearance, before they tell the church; but 
that they shall not less than twice admonish their 
brother or sister, before they tell the church. And it 
is desired of all, that before they publicly complain, 
they wait in the power of God to feel if there is no 
more required of tliem to their brother or sister, before 
they expose him or her to the church. Let this be 
weightily considered. 

^' 8. And further, when the church is told, and the 



JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 19 

party admonished by the church again and again, and 
he or she remain still insensible and unreconciled, let 
not final judgment go forth against him or her, till 
every one of the meeting hath cleared his or her con- 
science ; that if anything be upon any, further to visit 
such a transgressor, they may clear themselves, if pos- 
sibly the party may be reached and saved. And after 
all are clear of the blood of such an one, let the judg- 
ment of Friends in the power of God go forth against 
him or her, as moved for the Lord's honor and glory 
sake ; that no reproach may come or rest upon God's 
holy name, truth, and people. 

"9. As much as possibly can be, let all differences 
be ended by some honest Friends ; and trouble not the 
Monthly or Quarterly Meetings with them: and if 
that will not do, proceed to your particular Monthly 
Meetings. But if they be not there ended, then take 
aside six honest Friends out of the Quarterly Meet- 
ing, and let them hear and determine the matter. 
And in case any person or persons be so obstinate, as 
that they refuse the sense and love of Friends, and 
will not comply with them, then proceed towards them 
according to the way of Truth in such cases. 

" 10. That all such as behold their brother or sister 
in a transgression, go not in a rough, light, or upbraid- 
ing spirit to reprove or admonish him or her, but in 
the power of the Lord and Spirit of the Lamb ; in the 
wisdom and love of the Truth, which sufPereth thereby, 
to admonish such an offender. So may the soul of 
such a brother or sister be seasonably and effectually 



20 JOURNAL OP WILLIAM PENN. 

reached unto and overcome, and have cause to bless 
the name of the Lord on their behalf: and so a bless- 
ing may be rewarded into the bosom of the faithful 
and tender brother or sister that so admonisheth. 

"11. And be it known unto all, we cast out none 
from among us: for if they go from the light, and 
spirit, and power, in which our unity is, they cast out 
themselves. And it has been our way to admonish 
them, that they may come to the Spirit and light of 
God which they are gone from, and so come into unity 
again: for our fellowship standeth in the light, that 
the world hateth, and in the Spirit, that the world 
grieveth, vexeth, and quencheth. And if they will 
not hear our admonitions, the light condemneth them, 
and then goeth our testimony out against them. 

" 12. That no condemnation is to go further than 
the transgression is known. And if he or she return, 
and give forth a condemnation against himself or her- 
self, which is more desirable than that we should do 
it, this is a testimony of his or her repentance and 
restoration before God, his people, and the whole 
world : as David, when Nathan came to admonish him. 
Ps. li. 

'^ 13. That no testimony by way of condemnation 
be given forth against any man or woman, whatever 
crime they commit, before admonition, and till such 
time as they have Gospel order, according to Christ^s 
doctrine. 

" 14. And if any brother or sister hear any report 
of any brother or sister, let him or her go to the party, 



JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 21 

and know the truth of the report ; and if true, let the 
thing be judged ; if false, go then to the reporter, and 
let him or her be judged. And if any should report 
it at a second or third hand, without going to the party 
of whom the report goeth, let such be brought to 
judgment; for thou shalt neither raise nor suffer a 
report to lie upon ray people, saith the Lord : for they 
are to be holy as He is holy ; and just as He is just. 

"15. And if any controversy or weakness should 
appear in either men's or women's meetings, let it not 
be told out of your meetings ; because such speeches 
tend to the defaming of such persons and meetings, 
and to the hurt of the common unity, and breach of 
the heavenly society and privilege." 

This is an account of what passed in this General 
Meeting. 

Next day, notice being already given, we had a 
large public meeting, in which the sound of the ever- 
lasting Gospel, testament, and covenant went forth ; 
and the meeting ended with a sweet and weighty sense. 
That evening we had a more select meeting of Friends 
than the day before, in which the nature of marriage, 
and the practice of Friends relating to it and other 
things were very weightily and closely discoursed. 
The resolutions were these following : 

"1. A scruple concerning the law of the magis- 
trate about marriage, being proposed and discoursed 
of in the fear of God among Friends in a select meet- 
ing, it was the universal and unanimous sense of 



22 JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PEXX. 

Friencls, tlmt joining in marriage is the work of the 
Lord only, and not of priest or magistrate. For it is 
God's ordinance and not man's, and therefore Friends 
cannot consent that they shoukl join them together. 
For we marry none; it is the Lord's work, and we are 
but witnesses. 

" 2. But yet, if a Friend, through tenderness, have 
a desire that the magistrate should know it before the 
marriage be concluded, they may publish the same, 
after the thing hath by Friends been found clear; and 
after the marriage is performed in a public meeting of 
Friends and others, according to the holy order and 
practice of Friends in Truth throusihout the world, 
and the manner of the holy men and women of old, 
may go and carry a copy of the certificate to the mag- 
istrate ; they arc left to their freedom herein, that if 
they please they may register it. But for priests or 
magistrates to marry, or join any in that relation, is 
not according to Scripture; and our testimony and 
practice have been always against it. It was God's 
work before the fall, and it is God's work alone in the 
restoration. 

" 3. If any Friend have it upon him to reprint any 
book already printed and approved, either in England 
or here, they may do it upon their own charges. 

" 4. It is also agreed, that the care of reading and 
approving books, be laid upon some of every meeting; 
to the end no book may be published but in the unity. 
Yet any other faithful Friends not so nominated, are 
not thereby excluded. Though in all these cases it is 



JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 23 

desired J tliat all would avoid unnecessary disputes 
about words, which profit not, but keep in the love 
that edifieth. 

^' 5. It is further concluded, that the general stock 
of the Quarterly Meeting be not disposed of, but by 
the consent of the Quarterly Meeting. But if, betwixt 
times, there should be pressing necessity concerning 
the public, let that Monthly Meeting where it shall 
fall out lay down the money, and give in an account 
at the next Quarterly Meeting in order to their relief, 
if it appear that they are thereby overcharged. And 
let all things be done without favor, affection, relation, 
or any respect to persons, even for the Lord's sake, and 
his blessed everlasting Truth ; that God may bless and 
prosper his people. 

" And let all things be written down, both as to your 
Monthly and Quarterly Meeting collections ; what you 
receive, and what you disburse; that all may be fair 
and clear, to the satisfaction of all that desire to see and 
examine the books.'' 

And the Lord's fear, and life, and power was over 
all, in which the Lord God preserve his forever. 

The 4th of the sixth month, being the seventh-day 
of the week, was employed in visiting Friends, and 
preparing ourselves for a further journey ; that is to 
say, George Keith, Robert Barclay, Benjamin Furly, 
and myself. 

Finding letters here from the Friends of Dantzic, 
complaining of the heavy sufferings they underwent ; 
informing us also that the king of Poland was there, 



24 JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 

and asking advice about an address to him, it fell upon 
me to write the following letter in the name of the 
Friends of Dantzic. 

"To THE King of Poland. 

" Great Prince ! 

"Actions of justice, mercy, and truth are worthy 
of all men ; but in a most excellent manner of the 
serious consideration of kingsand princes. We, certain 
inhabitants of the city of Dantzic, have been long great 
suiferers, not for any wickedness committed against the 
royal law of God, or any breach of those civil laws of 
this city, that relate to the well government of it in all 
natural and civil things ; but purely and only for the 
cause of our tender consciences towards God. 

"This severity being by us represented to the magis- 
trates of this city, we could not as yet receive from 
them any relief; some expressing, as if easing the burden 
of our oppressions should give thee, O King, an occasion 
of dissatisfaction against them ; who art our acknowl- 
edged protector. 

" Being thus necessitated, and in a manner driven to 
make this address unto thee, take it not amiss, that 
we, with that humility and patience that becometh the 
servants and followers of Jesus, and with all manner 
of Christian respect and sincerity of mind, briefly relate 
to thee the most fundamental principles most surely 
believed by us; which, we hope thou wilt believe, 
deserve not those punishments that are inflicted upon 
us as evil-doers. 



JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 25 

'' 1. We do reverently believe that there is one God 
and Father, one Lord Jesus Christ, and one Ploly Spirit, 
and these three are one. Eph. iv. 6. 

'' 2. We believe the Scriptures of the Old and New 
Testament to have been given forth by Divine inspira- 
tion ; and that they are profitable for doctrine, for re- 
proof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness ; 
*able to make the man of God wise unto salvation 
through faith, which is in Christ Jesus.' 2 Tim. iii. 
15, 16. 

'' 3. That these Holy Scriptures are not to be under- 
stood but l)y the discoveries, teachings, and operations 
of the eternal Spirit, from whence they came. 

^' 4. We believe that all mankind, through disobe- 
dience to the Spirit of God, are ftdlen short of the glory 
of God, and in that state are under condemnation ; 
but that God, out of his infinite goodness and kindness, 
hath sent his Son a light into the world, that whoso- 
ever belie veth and obeyeth this light, should not abide 
in darkness, but have the light of eternal life. 

^' 5. We believe this gift of light and grace through 
Jesus Christ to be universal ; and that there is not a 
man or woman upon earth, that hath not a sufficient 
measure of this liglit, and to whom this grace hath not 
appeared to reprove their ungodly works of darkness, 
and to lead them that obey it. to eternal salvation. 
And this is the great condemnation of the world at 
this day, under all their great professions of God, 
Christ, Spirit and Scriptures : that though Christ hath 
enlightened them, yet they will not bring their deeds 



26 JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 

to the light, but hate the light, and love their dark 
customs and practices rather than the light, ' because 
their deeds are evil.' 

" 6. We do believe in the birth, life, doctrine, mira- 
cles, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ 
our Lord; and that He laid down his life for the un- 
godly, not to continue so, but that they should deny 
their wickedness and ungodliness, and live soberly, 
righteously, and godly in this present evil world, as 
the saints of old did, who were redeemed from the earth 
and sat in heavenly places. 

" 7. We do believe that as the devil, through man's 
disobedience, brought sin into man's heart, so Christ 
Jesus, through man's belief in, and obedience to his 
Holy Spirit, light and grace, cleanseth the heart of sin, 
destroyeth the works of the devil, finisheth transgres- 
sion, and bringeth in everlasting righteousness. That 
as the devil hath had his kingdom of darkness in man, 
so Christ may have his kingdom of light, life, right- 
eousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost in the heart 
of man ; and not that Christ Jesus saveth men from 
wrath and not from sin ; ' for the wages of sin is death,' 
in whose heart soever it liveth ; ' but the gift of God 
is eternal life,' to all that believe and obey, through 
Jesus Christ. 

"8. We do believe that all true ministry and wor- 
ship stand only in the experimental sense, operations 
and leadings of this holy light. Spirit or grace, that is 
shed abroad in the hearts of men and women, to conduct 
them in the holy way of regeneration unto life eternal. 



JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 27 

This was the ancient apostolical doctrine ; they spoke 
what they had seen, tasted, and liandled of the Word of 
God. And this is our faith, doctrine, and practice in 
this day. 

" And be not displeased with us, O King, we entreat 
thee, if we give this for the reason of our absenting our- 
selves from the public and common ministry or wor- 
ship; namely, that we have no taste or relish, no sense 
or evidence that their ministry and worship are au- 
thorized and performed by the apostolical power and 
Spirit of Jesus ; but rather that they are the inventions, 
studies and powers of man's nature ; all which are but 
strange fire, and therefore cannot kindle a true and 
acceptable sacrifice to God. 

" For it is not man's spirit and degenerate nature, 
speaking and professing the words of God's Spirit, that 
giveth acceptance with the Lord, or administereth 
heavenly edification to men. Nor can we believe, that 
where pride, passion, wrath, malice, persecution, envy 
and strife, lusts, vanity, wantonness, and worldly-mind- 
edness have such sway and power, that the true Chris- 
tian spirit, life, and doctrine can be heartily received 
and followed. 

" And as this is the reason, in the sight and presence 
of that God that made heaven and earth, and will judge 
the quick and dead, wherefore we cannot join in tlie 
common and public worship of these parts, so doth the 
same light and Spirit of God lay an holy necessity upon 
us, with a meek and quiet spirit, to come together after the 
manner of the ancient Christians, that were the true fol- 
lowers of Jesus ; and with godly fear and a retired mind 



28 JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENN, 

to wait upon God, and meditate in his holy law of life^ 
that He hath written in our hearts, according to his new 
covenant promise ; that He may feed us, teach us, 
strengthen us, and comfort us in our inward man. 
And as by this Holy Spirit, according to the practice of 
the churches of old, any are inclined or moved to re- 
prove, exhort, admonish, praise, or pray, we are found 
exercised in these holy practices. 

" Now, O Prince ! give us poor Christians leave to 
expostulate with thee. Did Christ Jesus or his holy 
followers endeavor by precept or example to set up 
their relio'ion with a carnal sword? Called He anv 
troops of men or angels to defend him ?, Did He en- 
courage Peter to dispute his escape with the sword ? 
But did He not say, put it up ? Or did He countenance 
his over-zealous disciples, when they would have had 
fire from heaven, to destroy those that were not of 
their mind? No; but did not Christ rebuke them, 
saying, ^ Ye know not what spirit ye are of?^ And 
if it was neither Christ's spirit, nor their own spirit 
that would have fire from heaven, oh ! what is that 
spirit that would kindle fire on earth, to destroy such 
as peaceably dissent upon the account of conscience? 
If we may not wish that God would smite men of 
other judgments, because they differ from us, (in which 
there is no use of carnal weapons,) can we so far de- 
ceive ourselves as to esteem ourselves Christians and 
followers of Christ, whilst we encourage men with 
worldly weapons to persecute such as dissent from us ? 

"0 King! when did the true religion persecute? 



JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 29 

When did the true church offer violence for religion? 
Were not her weapons prayers, tears, and patience? 
Did not Jesus conquer by those weapons, and vanquish 
cruelty by suffering ? Can clubs and staves, swords, 
and prisons, and banishments reach the soul, convert 
the heart, or convince the understanding of man? 
When did violence ever make a true convert, or bodilv 
punishments a sincere Christian? This maketh void 
the end of Christ's coming, which is to save men's 
lives, and not to destroy them ; to persuade them and 
not to force them ; yea, it robbeth God's Spirit of its 
office, which is to convince the world ; that is the 
sword by w^hich the ancient Christians overcame. It 
was the apostle's testimony that their weapons were 
.not carnal, but spiritual ; but the practice of their pre- 
tended successors proveth that their weapons are not 
spiritual, but carnal. 

'^ Suppose we are tares, as the true wheat hath always 
been called ; yet pluck us not up for Christ's sake, Avho 
saith, ^ Let the tares and the wheat grow together until 
the harvest,' that is, till the end of the world. Let 
God have his due as well as Caesar; the judgment of 
conscience belongeth to him ; and mistakes about reli- 
gion are best known to him. 

" And here give us leave to remind thee of a noble 
saying of one of thy ancestors, Stephen, king of Po- 
land : ^I am king of men, not of consciences; king 
of bodies, not of souls.' And there have been found, 
and still are among the emperors, kings, princes, and 
States of the w^orld, some who have had that noble 



30 JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 

spirit of indulging their conscientious dissenting sub- 
jects; and not only with Gamaliel and Gallio not to 
persecute, but also eminently to protect and defend 
them from the hatred and violence of their enemies. Be 
not thou less noble than they ; consider how quietly and 
comfortably our Friends live under other governments. 

" And indeed, ^ve conceive it to be the prudence of 
the kings and States of the world. For, if the wise 
man say true, ' The glory of a prince is in the multi- 
tude of his people ; ' but this practice saith. No, the 
glory of a prince is in the conformity of tlie people to 
the canons of the clergy; which seemeth to strike at 
all civil society, wliich consisteth in men of virtue, 
parts, arts, and industry. But let men have ever such 
excellent abilities; be ever so honest, peaceable, and 
industrious — all which render them good and profitable 
subjects to the prince — yet they must not live within 
their native country, unless they will sacrifice the 
peace of their consciences by an hypocritical submis- 
sion to the canons and fashions of the church. Is not 
this, O Prince, to set the church above the state? the 
bishop above the king? to waste and give away the 
strength and glory of a kingdom? 

''O that thou mayst be wise even in thy generation ! 
and use the power that God hath given thee, for God, 
and truth, and righteousness ; that therein thou mayst 
be like unto God, Avho, Peter telleth us, accepteth of 
all that fear him and work righteousness, throughout 
the world — whose sun shineth upon all, whose rain 
Cometh upon all. 



JOUENAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 31 

"And lest any should be so injurious to us as to 
render us enemies to civil govern ment^ be it known 
unto thee^ O King, that we honor all men in the Lord, 
not with the vain invented honors of this world, but 
with the true and solid honor that cometh from above ; 
but much more kings, and those whom God hath 
placed in authority over us. For we believe magis- 
tracy to be both lawful and useful, for the terrifying 
of all evil doers, and the praise and encouragement of 
those that do well. 

" The premises duly considered, we entreat thee, O 
Prince, to take our suffering case into thy serious re- 
gard ; and by that power and influence thou hast with 
the magistrates of this city, to recommend our suifer- 
ing condition to their serious consideration ; that we 
may no longer lie under these not only unchristian, 
but unnatural severities, but receive that speedy and 
effectual relief which becometh Christian magistrates 
to give to their own sober and Christian people." * 

* W. Penn liad greeted these sufferers with a consolatory letter as 
early as the year 1673, after his first journey to the continent. 

It appears by Besse's account of these Friends, that they had no 
sooner joined the Society, and began to distinguish themselves as 
belonging to it, by publicly assenabling after their usual manner 
for the purpose of divine worship, than three of them were appre- 
hended by the magistrates. After being detained some time in 
prison, they were actually banislied beyond tlie seas by order of the 
senate. The little company continuing to meet together, came to be 
more and more molested, both by magistrates and people, till, in 
one instance, the rude mob, to the number of a hundred persons, 
thronged into their meeting room, pillaging their property, and 
using almost all manner of shameful insolence ; on which, the town 



32 JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENjJ^. 

On the 5th of the sixth monthj being the first-day 
of the week, meeting begun about the eleventh hour, 
and held till the fourth hour in the afternoon. There 
was a mighty concoui'se of people from several places 
of this country, and of several persuasions, Baptists, 
Presbyterians, Socinians, Seekers, etc., and God was 
with his people, and his Word of life and power, of 
wisdom and strength, covered them ; yea, the hidden 
things both of Esau and Jacob, the mystery both of 
iniquity and godliness, were opened and declared in 
the demonstration of the eternal Spirit that day. And, 
blessed and magnified be the name of the Lord, who 
hath not left himself, nor his servants, without a wit- 
ness ! Oh, He is worthy to be loved, and feared, and 
obeyed, and reverenced forever ! 

The next day George Keith, Robert Barclay, Ben- 
jamin Furly, and myself, having taken our leave of 
dear George Fox and Friends, took boat for Naerden, 
arriving there about the second hour in the afternoon. 

oflieers making their appearance, carried off these unoflending suf- 
firers into confinement. Nor did such cogent appeals as tliat of 
William Pcnn prevail, on their behalf. For during the space of 
pome 3'ears the storm of persecution continued, insomuch tliat most 
of tliem, by frequent imprisonment, oppression, and banisliment, 
were reduced to poverty, and unable for a considerable time to sup- 
port tlicmselves and their families. In 1G84, two letters from them 
were read at tlie Yearly Meeting in London, describing their strait 
bondage in tlie liouse of correction, under extremely Iiard usage antl 
(•ruclty, being chained together two and two by the liands, fed only 
with bread and water, and forced to lie upon straw through the 
severe winter. 



JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 33 

After having eaten, we took our leave of those Friends 
that had accompanied us thither, and begun our journey 
in the common post-wagon to Osnaburg ; where we 
came on fourth-day the 8th, in the evening. 

We passed througli a very dark country to that 
placg; yet I felt not so great a weight and suffering in 
my spirit as six years ago, when I went through the 
same places. 

At Osnaburg we had a little time with the man of 
the inn, where we lay ; and left him several good 
books of Friends in the Low and High Dutch tongues 
to read and to dispose of. 

The next morning, being the 9th of the sixth month, 
we set forward for Herwerden or Plerford, and came 
thither at night. This is the city where the Princess 
Elizabeth, Palatine of the Rhine, hath her court; whom, 
and the Countess in company witli her, it was especially 
upon us to visit; and that, upon several accounts. 
First, in that they are persons seeking after the best 
things. Secondly, in that they are actually lovers and 
favorers of those who separate themselves from the 
world for righteousness' sake. 

The Princess is not only a private supporter of such, 
but gave protection to De Labadie himself, and his 
company ; yea, when they went under the reproachful 
name of Quakers, about seven years since. This man 
was a Frenchman, who, being dissatisfied with the 
looseness and-deadness of the French Protestants, even 
at Geneva itself, left them and came for Holland ; and 
so vehemently declaimed against the apostasy of the 

C 



34 JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 

priests and people there, that the clergy were enraged, 
and stirred up tiie magistrates against him, and the 
rather, because many followed him, and several women 
of great quality. Upon this, the Princess gave them 
an invitation, and they came and were protected by 
her. But since, some miscarriages falling out iy that 
place, she thereupon in good measure withdrew her 
favor from them, and they removed to another place. 
I was moved to visit this man and his company six 
years ago, and saw him and his two great disciples ; 
but they would not suffer me to see the people, which 
I labored for. In that day I saw the airiness and un- 
stableness of the man's sjiirit, and that a sect-master 
was his name. And it was upon me, both by word 
of mouth and writing, to let them know that the enemy 
would prevail against them to draw them into incon- 
venient things, if they came not to be stayed in the 
light of Jesus Christ, and to know the holy silence; 
and that at last they would come to fall out one with 
another, and moulder away; which is in some meas- 
ure come to pass as I feared. For I clearly perceived, 
that thouo:h they had received some divine touches, 
there was a danger they would run out with them, 
and spend them like prodigals ; not knowing then 
where to stay their minds for daily bread. Yea, 
though they were something angelical and like to the 
celestial bodies, yet if they kept not their station, they 
would prove fallen stars. They moved not in the mo- 
tion of Him who had visited them, but were filled 
with gross mixtures, and thereby brought forth mixed 



JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENX. 35 

births, that is to say, things not natural but monstrous. 
In fine, they were shy of us, they knew us not ; yet I 
believed well of some of the people, for a good thing 
was stirring in them. 

The Countess was commendable in this also, that 
she left all to join with a people who had a pretence 
at least to more spirituality and self-denial than was 
found in the national religion she was bred up in; for 
God had reached her, as she told me, about nine years 
ago, and that by an extraordinary way. It seemed to 
us a great pity, that persons of their quality in the 
world, should so willingly expose themselves for the 
false Quaker, the reprobate silver, the mixtures ; and 
that they should not be acquainted with the life and 
testimony of the true Quakers. 

About a year since, Robert Barclay and Benjamin 
Furly took that city in the way from Fredericstadt to 
Amsterdam, and gave them a visit; in which they in- 
formed them somewhat of Friends' principles, and rec- 
ommended the testimony of Truth to them, as both a 
nearer and more certain thing than the utmost of De 
Labadie's doctrine. They left them tender and loving. 

Soon after this, Gertrude Diricks and Elizabeth 
Hendricks from Amsterdam visited them, and obtained 
a meeting with them ; improving that little way, God 
by his providence had made, more closely to press the 
testimony. And though they, especially the Countess, 
made some objections, in relation to the ordinances and 
certain practices of Friends, yet she seemed at that time 
to receive satisfaction from them. 



36 JOURNAIj of WILLIAM PENN. 

These visits occasioned a correspondence by way of 
letter betwixt them and several of us, wherein the 
mystery of Truth hath been more clearly opened to 
their understandings; and they have been brought 
nearer into a waiting frame, by those lieavenly direc- 
tions they have frequently received by way of epistles 
from several of us. 

In answer to two of mine, the Princess sent me the 
following letter, which being sliort I here insert: 

"IIerford, '2nJ of May, 1G77. 
*' Tin's, Friend, will tell you that both your letters 
were very acceptable, together with your wishes for 
my obtaining those virtues, which may make me a 
worthy follower of our great King and Saviour, Jesus 
Christ. What I liave done for his true disciples, is 
not so much as a cu}) of cold water; it affords them no 
refreshment; neither did I expect any fruit of my let- 
ter to the Duchess of Lauderdale, as I have expressed 
at the same time unto Benjamin Furly. But since 
Robert Barclay desired I should write it, I could not 
refuse him, nor omit to do anything that was judged 
conducing to his liberty, though it should expose me 
to the derision of the world. Bat this a mere moral 
man can reach at; the true inward graces are yet 
wanting in 

" Your affectionate friend, 

" Elizabeth.'' 

This digression from the present history, I thought 
not altosrether unnecessarv. 



JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 37 



CHAPTER 11. 

Interviews with Princess Elizabeth and Countess of Homes — 
Meetings in tlie Family of the Princess — Paderborn — Cassel 
— Frankfort. 

BUT to return. Being arrived at that city, part of 
which is under her government, we gave her to 
understand it; desiring to know what time next day 
would be most proper for us to visit her. She sent us 
word she was glad that Ave were come, and should be 
ready to receive us next morning about the seventh 
hour. 

The next morning being come, which was the sixth- 
day of the week, we went about tlie time she had ap- 
})ointed us, and found both her and the Countess ready 
to receive us; which they did with a more than ordi- 
nary expression of kindness. I can truly say it, and 
that in God's fear, I was very deeply and reverently 
affected with the sense that was upon my spirit, of the 
great and notable day of the Lord, and the breakings- 
in of his eternal power upon all nations ; and of the 
raising of the slain Witness to judge the world; who 
is the treasury of life and peace, of wisdom and glory, 
to all that receive Him in the hour of his judgments, 
and abide with him. The sense of this deep and sure 
foundation, which God is laying, as the hope of eternal 
life and glory for all to build upon, fi-lled my soul with 
an holy testimony to them, which in a living sense was 



38 JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 

followed by my brethren ; and so the meeting ended 
about the eleventh hour. 

The Princess entreated us to stay and dine with her; 
but, with due regard both to our testimony and to her 
at that time, Ave refused it; desiring, if she pleased, 
another opportunity that day. To which she with all 
cheerfulness yielded; she herself appointing the sec- 
ond hour. 

So we went to our quarters ; and some time after we 
had dined, we returned. The meeting soon began ; 
there were several present besides the Princess and 
Countess. It was at this meeting that the Lord in a 
more eminent manner began to appear. The eternal 
Word showed itself a liammer at this day, yea, sharper 
than a two-edged sw^ord, dividing asunder between the 
soul and the spint, the joints and the marrow. Yea, 
this day was all flesh humbled before the Lord ! it 
amazed one, shook another, broke another ; the noble 
arm of the Lord Avas truly awakened, and the weight 
and work thereof bowed and tendered us also, after an 
unusual and extraordinary manner; that the Lord 
might work an heavenly sign before them, and among 
them ; that the majesty of Him that is risen among 
the poor Quakers might in some measure be known 
unto them, what God it is we serve, and what power 
it is we wait for and bow before. They had a sense 
and a discovery that day, what would become of the 
glory of all flesh, when God shall enter into judgment. 
Well, let my right hand forget its cunning, aiRl my 
tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth, when I shall 



JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 39 

forget the loving-kindness of the Lord, and the sure 
mercies of our God to us his travailing servants that 
day. O Lord, send forth thy light and thy truth, that 
all nations may behold thy glory! 

Thus continued the meeting till about the seventh 
hour; which done, with hearts and souls filled with 
holy thanksgivings to the Lord for his abundant 
mercy and goodness to us, we departed to our lodg- 
ing, desiring to know whether our corning the next 
day might not be uneasy or unseasonable to her with 
respect to the affairs of her government, it being the 
last day of the week, when, we were informed, she was 
most frequently attended with addresses from her peo- 
ple. B',5t with a loving and ready mind she replied, 
that she should be glad to see us the next morning, 
and at any time wlien we would. 

The next morning, being the 11th of the sixth 
month, we were there betwixt eight and nine ; where, 
Robert Barclay falling into some discourse with the 
Princess, the Countess took hold of the opportunity, 
and whispered me to withdraw, to get a meeting for 
the more inferior servants of the house, who would 
have been bashfid to present themselves before the 
Princess. And, blessed be the Lord ! He was not 
wanting to us ; the same blessed power that had ap- 
peared to visit them of high, appeared also to visit 
them of low degree ; and we were all sweetly tendered 
and broken together ; for virtue went forth of Jesus 
that day, and the life of our God w^as shed abroad 
amongst us as a sweet savor ; for which their souls 



y^ 



40 JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 

bowed before the Lord, and confessed to our testi- 
mony. 

It did not a little please that noble young woman, 
to find her own report of us and her great care of them 
so effectually answered. Oh ! wdiat shall we say? Is 
there any God like unto our God? who is glorious 
in holiness, fearful in praises, working wonders ! To 
his eternal name, power and arm, be the glory forever ! 

The meeting done, the Princess came to us, express- 
ing much satisfaction that we had that good opportu- 
nity with her servants ; telling us, she much desired 
they should have a true and right character of us, and 
therefore she chose to withdraw, that they might have 
freer access, and that it might look like their own act; 
or words to that purpose. 

The twelfth hour being come, we returned to our 
inn ; letting them understand, we purposed (the Lord 
willing) to visit them some time that afternoon. 

I must not here forget, that we found at our inn, the 
first night at supper, a young merchant of a sweet and 
ingenuous temper, belonging to the city of Bremen; 
who took occasion from that night's discourse, the sixth- 
day at dinner and supper, and the seventh-day also, to 
seek all opportunities of conference with us ; and (as we 
have reason to believe) he stayed twenty-four hours in 
that city on our account. We opened to him the tes- 
timony of Truth. I know not that in any one thing 
he contradicted us. At last he plainly discovered him- 
self unto us, to be a follower of a certain minister in 
Bremen, who is even by his fellow-ministers and Pro- 



JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 41 

testants reproached \Ylth the name of Quaker, because 
of his singular sharpness against the formal, lifeless 
ministers and Christians in the world. 

We laid fast hold upon this, and asked him, in case 
any of us should visit that city, if he would give us the 
opportunity of a meeting at his house, which he readily 
granted us. So we gave him some books ; recommend- 
ing him to the true and blessed testimony of Christ 
Jesus, the Light and Judge of the world, and life of 
them that receive him and believe in him ; and so we 
parted. 

It being now about three in the afternoon, we went 
to the Princess's; where being come, after some little 
time, the Princess and Countess put me in remem- 
brance of a promise I made them in one of my letters 
out of England, that I would give them an account, at 
some convenient time, of my first convincement, and 
of those tribulations and consolations which I had met 
withal in this way of the kingdom, to which God hath 
brought me. After some pause, I found myself very 
free and prepared, in the Lord's love and fear, to com- 
ply with their request; so, after some silence, began. 
But before I had half done, it was supper-time ; and 
the Princess would by no means let us go, we must 
sup with her; which importunity, not being well able 
to avoid, we yielded to, and sat down with her to 
sup})er. 

Among the rest present at these opportunities, it 
must not be forgotten that there was a Countess, sister 

to the Countess, then come to visit her, and a French 

4* 



42 JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 

woman of quality; the first behaving herself very de- 
cently, and tiie last was often deeply broken ; and from 
a light and slighting carriage towards the very name 
of a Quaker, she became very intimately and affection- 
ately kind and respectful to us. Supper being ended, 
we all returned to the Princess's chamber; where, 
making us all sit down with her, she, with both the 
Countesses and the French woman, pressed from me 
the continuance of my relation ; but none more than 
the Countess's sister; with which, though late, I was 
not unwilling to oblige them, because I knew not when 
the Lord would give me such an opportunity. 

I found them afiected ; it continued till about ten 
o'clock at night, yet many particulars omitted, partly 
through forgetful ness, and partly for want of time. 
Howbeit, I must needs say, they heard me with an 
earnest and tender attention ; and I hope and believe 
the Lord hath made it profitable unto them. This 
done, they had some discourse upon it, and afterwards 
we spoke about a meeting for the next day, being the 
first-day of the week ; and that we might have not 
only as many of her own family, but as many of her 
town as would willingly be there ; she yielded to it, 
and appointed the meeting to begin at the second 
hour ; so w^e parted, being near the eleventh hour at 
night. 

The next morning we had a meeting among our- 
selves in our chamber, wherein the Lord refreshed us ; 
and there was a great travail upon our spirits, that 
the Lord would stand by us that day and magnify the 



JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 43 

testimony of his own truth by us ; that He might have 
a seed and people in that place to lift up a standard 
for his name. 

At dinner there were several strangers, who came 
by the post-wagon that day ; among whom there was 
a young man of Bremen, being a student at the college 
at Duysburg, who informed us of a sober and seeking 
man of great note in the city of Duysburg ; to him w^e 
gave some books. There was another, who was tender 
and inquiring, to whom also w'e gave books. 

The second hour being at hand, we went to the 
meeting; where were several, as well of the town as 
of the family. The meeting began with a weighty 
exercise and travail in prayer, that the Lord would 
glorify his own name that day. And by his own 
power He made way to their consciences, and sounded 
his awakening trumpet in their ears, that they might 
know that He was God, and that there is none like 
unto him. Oh ! the day of the Lord livingly dawned 
upon us, and the searching life of Jesus was in the 
midst of us ! The Word that never faileth them that 
wait for it, and abide in it, opened the way and un- 
sealed the book of life; yea, the quickening power and 
life of Jesus wrought and reached to them ; and virtue 
from Him in whom dwelleth the Godhead bodily, 
went forth, and blessedly distilled upon us his own 
heavenly life, sweeter than the spices with pure frank- 
incense, yea, than the sweet smelling myrrh that cometh 
from a far country. And as it began, so it was carried 
on, and so it ended ; blessed be the name of the Lord^ 
and confided in be our God forever ! 



44 JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PEN^N. 

As soon as the meeting was clone, the Princess came 
to me, and took me by the hand (which she usually 
did to us all, coming and going), and went to S})eak 
to me of the sense she had of that power and presence 
of God, which was amongst us; but was stopped. And 
turning herself to the window, she broke forth in an 
extraordinary passion, crying out, " I cannot speak to 
you — my heart is full" — clapping her hands upon her 
breast. It melted me into a deep and calm tenderness ; 
in which I was moved to minister a few words softly 
to her, and after some time of silence, she recovered 
herself; and as I was taking my leave of lier, she in- 
terrupted me thus: ^' Will you not come hither again? 
Pray call here as ye return out of Germany." I told 
her we were in the hand of the Lord, and being his 
could not dispose of ourselves ; but the Lord had taken 
care that we should not forget her and those with her ; 
for lie had raised and begotten an heavenly concern- 
ment in our souls for her and them, and we loved them 
all with that love wherewith God had loved us ; with 
much more to that purpose. 

She then turned to the rest of the Friends, and 
would have had us all gone down to supper with her. 
But we chose rather to be excused ; we should eat a 
bit of her bread and drink a glass of her wine, if she 
pleased, in the chamber where we were. At last we 
prevailed with her to leave us. The Countess, the 
French woman, and the Countess's waiting woman 
stayed with us ; and we had a very retired and season- 
able opportunity with fhem. 



JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 45 

After the Princess had supped, we went all down 
and took our solemn leave of her, the Countess, her 
sister, the French woman, with the rest of the family, 
whose hearts were reached and opened by our testi- 
monies ; recommending to them holy silence from all 
will-worship, and the workings, strivings, and images 
of their own mind and spirit; that Jesus might be 
felt by them in their hearts, his holy teachings wit- 
nessed and followed in the way of his blessed cross, 
which would crucify them unto the world, and the 
world unto them ; that their faith, hope, and joy might 
stand in Christ in them, the heavenly Prophet, Shep- 
herd, and Bishop ; whose voice, all that are truly sheep 
will hear and follow, and not the voice of any stranger 
whatever. So we left them in the love and peace of 
God ; praying that they might be kept from the evil 
of this world. 

AVe returned to our lodging, having our hearts filled 
with a weighty sense of the Lord's appearance with 
us in that place ; and it being late, towards the ninth 
hour, we prepared to go to rest. 

The next morning, being the 13th of the sixth 
month, George Keith, Benjamin Furly, and myself 
got ready to begin our journey towards Frankfort, 
which by the way of Cassel is about tw^o hundred 
English miles. Robert Barclay prepared himself to 
return by the way we came, directly back to Amster- 
dam. But before we parted, we had a little time to- 
gether in the morning in our chamber ; whither came 
one of the Princess's family, and one of the town. The 



46 JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 

Lord moved rae to call upon his great name, that He 
would be with them that stayed, and with them that 
returned also, and w^ith us that went forward in wild, 
untrodden places. And his blessed love and life over- 
shadowed us ; yea. He filled our cup together and 
made us drink into one Spirit, even the cup of bless- 
ings in the fellowship of the everlasting Seed ; in 
which we took leave of one another. After having 
eaten, it being about the seventh hour, we departed 
the city. 

We came to Paderborn that night, six German 
miles, which are about thirty-six English ; it is a dark 
Popish town, and under the government of a bishop 
of that religion. Howbeit, the woman where we lodged 
was an ancient, grave, and serious person ; to whom 
we declared the testimony of the Light, showing her 
the difference betwixt an outside and an inside religion ; 
which she received with much kindness. We left some 
books with her, wdiich she took readily. 

There was also with us at supper a Lutheran who 
was a lawyer ; with whom I had very good service, in 
opening to him the great loss of the power of godli- 
ness, as well among them who separated from Rome, 
as in the Roman church; which he confessed. I 
directed him to the Divine light in his conscience, that 
let him see the lifeless state of the false Christians ; 
and if he turned his mind to that, and waited there, 
he would receive power to rule and govern himself 
according to true godliness: and that it was the loss 
of Christendom, that they went from this Holy Spirit, 



JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENN.. 47 

in which the power standethj that conforraeth the soul 
to the image and likeness of the dear Son of God ; and 
thither they must come again, if ever they have the 
true knowledge of God, and enjoy life and salvation ; 
with much more to that purpose, all which he received 
lovingly. 

The next morning we set forward toward Cassel ; 
but through great foulness of weather, having only 
open carts to ride in, the w^aters being also high with 
the rains, we did not get to Cassel till the next day, 
which was the fourth-day of the week. It beiug late, 
we made little inquiry that night, being also wearied 
with the foulness of the ways and weather. 

But on the 16th we made our usual inquiry, namely, 
who was worthy in the city ; and found some that 
tenderly and lovingly received us ; to whom we de- 
clared the visitation of the light and love of God. 
Among the rest was Dureus our countryman, a man 
of seventy.-seven years of age, who had learned in 
good measure to forget his learning, school divinity, 
and priest's craft ; and for his approaches towards an 
inward principle, is reproachfully saluted by some with 
the honest title of Quaker. It is much better than 
Papist, Lutheran, or Calvinist, who are not only igno- 
rant of, but enemies to, quaking and trembling at, the 
word of the Lord, as Moses and others did. 

Upon the sixth-day of the same week, about noon, 
we set out towards Frankfort, having left several 
books behind us ; which has been our practice in our 
journey. 



48 J.OURNAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 

At Frankfort we arrived on the 20tli, about noon, 
being just a week from Herwerden ; and having from 
thence and Cassel made known our intentions of 
coming, two considerable persons came and met us 
about half a German mile from the city, informing 
us of several who were well affected in that town. 
Upon which, we told them tlie end of our coming, and 
desired to have a meeting Avith them in the afternoon ; 
which we easily obtained at the house of a merchant, 
one of the two that met us. The persons who resorted 
thither were generally people of considerable note, both 
of Calvinists and Lutherans ; and we can say, they 
received us with gladness of heart, and embraced our 
testimony with a broken and reverent spirit, thanking 
God for our coming amongst them, and praying that 
He would prosper his work in our hands. This en- 
gaged our hearts to make some longer stay in this city. 
We therefore desired another meeting the next day, 
which they cheerfully assented to ; where several came 
who were not with us the day before, and the Lord 
who sent us into the land was with us, and by his 
power reached to them, insomuch that they confessed 
to the truth of our testimony. 

Of these persons, there were two women, one a 
virgin [Joanna Eleonora de Malane], the other a 
widow, both noble of birth, who had a deep sense of 
the j^oW'Cr and presence of God which accompanied 
our testimony, and their hearts yearned strongly to- 
wards us; the virgin giving us a particular invitation 
to her house the next morning, where we had the most 



JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 49 

blessed opportunity of the tliree; for the Lord's power 
so eminently appeared, that not only those who had 
been with us before w^ere most efPectaally reached, but 
a certain student, residing in tlie house of a Lutheran 
minister (sent for by that young woman), was broken 
to pieces, and magnified that blessed power which 
appeared. There accidentally came in also a doctor 
of physic, who unexpectedly was affected, and confessed 
to the Truth, praying God to prosper us. This was 
the blessed issue of our visit to Frankfort. 

But there is oncthing more not unfit to be mentioned. 
Amon^g some of those who have inclinations after God, 
a fearful spirit, together with the shame of the cross, 
hath entered; against which our testimony in part 
striking, we took notice it was as life to these noble wo- 
men, for that was it, as they told us, which had long 
oppressed them, and obstructed the work of the Lord 
amongst them. Therefore, said the young woman, 
^' Our quarters are free for you ; let all come that will 
come, and lift up your voices without fear ; for,'^ con- 
tinued she, "■ it will never be well wdth us till perse- 
cution come, and some of us be lodged in the stadt- 
house/' — that is the prison. 

We left the peace of Jesus with them, and the same 
afternoon we departed out of that city, being the fourth- 
day of the week. 

Here I wrote an epistle to the churches of Jesus. 
6 D 



50 JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 

CHAPTER III. 

Epistle to the Churches. 

To the Churches of Jesus throughout the world, gathered 
and settled in his eternal light, j)ower, and Spirit, to be 
one lioly flock, family, and household to the Lord. 

^' Dear Friends and Brethren, 

WHO liave been visited with the.fiitherly visitation 
from on high, and have received God's eternal 
word and testament in your hearts, by which you have 
been gathered home to Christ Jesus, the true Shepherd, 
from all the idol-sheplierds and their barren mountains 
and unprofitable hills, where you have been scattered in 
the dark and gloomy day of apostasy ; and by his light, 
Spirit, and power have been convinced of sin, right- 
eousness, and judgment; and can say, the prince of 
this world is judged by his holy, righteous, and power- 
ful appearance in you, unto whom all judgment in 
heaven and earth is committed ; who is the blessed 
Lamb of God, the Light and Saviour of the world ; who 
is King of Salem, and Prince of Peace; my soul loves 
you with everlasting love, even with the love with 
which my God and your God, my Father and your 
Father hath loved me, and visited my soul and your 
souls. In this do I dearly salute and embrace you all, 
in this the day of the fulfill ing of his glorious promises to 
his church in the wilderness, and witnesses in sackcloth. 



JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 51 

" And, oil, magnified be his name, and everlastingly 
praised and renowned be his holy power and arm, by 
which He hath reached unto us, and brought salvation 
near us ! For He hath found us out, and hath heard 
our solitary cries, the deep and mournful supplications 
of our bowed spirits, when we were as the dove with- 
out its mate, and the lonely pelican in the wilderness ; 
when we were ready to cry out, Is there none to save, is 
there none to help ! Oh, when shall the time and times 
and half a time be finished ! Wheij shall the one thou- 
sand two hundred and sixty days be accomplished ! And 
when shall the abomination that stands in the holy 
place, be cast out! When shall the captivity of the 
people be turned back ! Oh, when shall Babylon come 
into remembrance before God ; the dragon, beast, and 
false prophet be cast into the lake ! And when shall 
the law go forth out of Zion, and the word of the Lord 
out of Jerusalem ! Vy^hen shall Zion become the joy, 
and Jerusalem the praise of the whole earth! And 
when shall the earth be covered with the knowledge 
of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea! 

" Friends, the Lord of heaven and earth hath heard 
our cries, and the full time is come, yea, the appointed 
time is come, and the voice of the eternal Spirit in our 
hearts hath been heard on this wise many a time — 
Awake, thou that sleepest, and I will give thee life; arise 
out of the dust and shine ; for thy light is come, and 
the glory of the Lord is' risen upon thee! And the 
Lord God hath given us that light, by which we have 
comprehended the darkness in ourselves and in the 



52 JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 

world ; and as we have believed in it, dwelt in it, and 
walked in it, we have received power to overcome the 
evil-one ill all his appearances in ourselves, and fliithfully 
and boldly to testify against him in the world. And the 
blood of Jesus, in this holy way of the light, have we 
felt in our souls, to cleanse us from unrighteousness, 
and give us to know the mystery of the fellowship of 
the Gospel one with another, which stands in life and 
immortality. And here we become an holy household 
and family unto GqcI, that live in his presence day and 
night, to do his will, as becometh his children, redeemed 
and ransomed by the most precious blood of his Son, 
and no more to return to folly. 

" And, Friends, let it never pass out of our remem- 
brance, what our God hath done for us, since He hath 
made us a people. Hath any weapon formed against us 
prospered? Hath He called us, and not protected us? 
Hath Pie given power to conceive, and not to bring 
forth ? Hatii He not sheltered us in many a storm ? Did 
He ever leave us under the reproaches and contradictions 
of men ? ^^ay, hath He not spoken peace to us ? Were 
we ever cast out by men, and He forsook us? No, the 
Lord hath taken us up. Were we ever in prison, and He 
visited us not? hungry, and He fed us not? naked, and 
He clothed us not? or have we been sick, and He came 
not to see us ? When were the gaols so close that He 
could not come in ? and the dungeons so dark that He 
caused not his light to shine upon us? Oh, nay ! He 
hath never left us, nor forsaken us ; yea, He hath pro- 
vided richly for us; He hath brought us into the wilder- 



JOUR^^AL OF WILLIAM PENJiJ'. 53 

ness not to starve iis^ but to try us ; yet not above our 
measure; for He fed us with manna from on bigh, with 
pure honey and water out of the rock, and given his 
good Spirit to sustain us ; by night He was a pillar of 
fire to us, to comfort us ; and by day a pillar of cloud, 
to hide and shelter us. He was a shadow of a mighty 
rock that followed us; and we never wanted a brook 
by the way to refresh us. Was God good to Israel 
outward ? Much more hath He abounded to his spirit- 
ual Israel, the proper seed and offspring of himself. 
Oh, the noble deeds and valiant acts that He hath 
wrought in ortr day for our deliverance ! He hath caused 
one to chase ten, and ten a hundred, and a hundred a 
thousand, many a time. Xone hath been able to snatch us 
out of his hands, who abode in his Truth. For though 
the winds have blown, and the sea hath, raged, yet hath 
He rebuked the winds and the sea for his seed's sake ; 
He hath said to the winds, ' be still ;' and to the sea^ 
'thus far shall thou come, and no further.' He hath 
cast up a highway for his ransomed to v/alk in, so 
plain, that though a fool he shall not err therein. 
This is the light in which all nations of them that are 
saved must walk forever. 

" And therefore. Friends, let us stay our minds in 
the light of the Lord forev^er; and let the awe, fear, 
and dread of the Almighty dwell in us. And let his 
Holy Spirit be known to be a covering to us, that from 
the spirit of tliis world we may be chastely kept and 
preserved unto God, in the holy light and self-deny- 
ing life of Jesus, who hath offered up himself once 
5* 



54 JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 

for all, leaving us an example that we should also 
follow his steps; that as He, our dear Lord aiid 
Master, so we, his servants and friends and children, 
might by the eternal Spirit oifer up ourselves to God 
in body, in soul, and in spirit, which are his; tliat we 
may be his workmansliip, created in Christ Jesus unto 
good works, to the praise of Him that hath called us; 
which calling is a high and holy calling, by the eternal 
Light and Spirit in our consciences. Oh, that it might 
forever remain in high estimation with us! And that 
it may be the daily watch and travail of us all, in the 
presence of the holy and living God who hath called 
us, to make our great call and election sure, which 
many have neglected to do, who have been convinced 
by tlie blessed I^ight and Truth of Christ Jesus re- 
vealed in their hearts, and who for a time have walked 
among us. These have been overcome by the s})irit of 
this world, and turned their hands from the plough, 
and deserted the camp of the Lord, and gone back 
again into Egypt; whereby the heathen have blas- 
phemed, and the, way and people of the Lord have 
greatly suffered. 

^' Therefore, O my dear Friends and brethren ! in 
the sense of that life and power which God from 
heaven hath so gloriously dispensed omong us, and by 
wdiich He hath given us multiplied assurances of his 
loving-kindness unto us, and crowned us together wnth 
lieavenly dominion, in wiiich my spirit is at this time 
broken before the Lord, do I most earnestly entreat you 
to watch continually, lest any of you, who have tasted 



JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENN". 55 

of the good Word of God, and the powers of the world 
to come, fall by temptation ; and by carelessness and 
neglect tempt the 'living God to withdraw his fatherly 
visitation from any of you, and finally to desert such ; 
for the Lord our God is a jealous God, and He will not 
give his glory unto another. He hath given to man 
all but man himself, and him He hath reserved for 
his own peculiar service, to build him up a glorious 
temple to Himself, so that we are bought with a price, 
and we are not our own. 

" Therefore let us continually watch and stand in awe, 
that we grieve not his Holy Spirit, nor turn his grace 
into wantonness ; but let all of us wait, in a holy 
travail of spirit, to know ourselves sealed by the Spirit 
of adoption, unto the day of our complete redemption ; 
when not only all our sins, but all sorrows,* sigliings, 
and tears shall be wiped away from our eyes, and ever- 
lasting songs of joy and thanksgivings shall melodiously 
fill our hearts to God, who sits upon the throne, and to 
his blessed, immaculate Lamb, Avho by bis most 
precious blood shall have completely redeemed us from 
the earth, and written our names in the book of life. 

" Friends, the Spirit of the Lord hath often brought 
you into my remembrance, since I have been in this 
desolate land ; and with joy unutterable have I had 
sweet and precious fellowship with you in the faith of 
Jesus, that overcometh the world ; for, though absent 
in body, yet am present in Him that is Omnipresent. 
I can truly say, you are very near and very dear to me 
and the love that God hath raised in my heart unto 



56 JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 

yon, surpasses the love of women. Our testimony, I 
am well satisfied, is sealed up together, and I am well 
assured, that all who love the light shall endure to the 
end throughout all tribulations, and in the end obtain 
eternal salvation. 

^'And now, Friends, as I have been travelling in 
this dark and solitary land, the great work of the 
Lord in the earth has been often presented to my view, 
and the day of the Lord hath been deeply upon me, 
and my soul hath frequently been possessed with a 
holy and weighty concern for the glory of the name 
of the Lord, and the spreading of his everlasting 
Truth, and the prosperity of it through all nations ; 
that the. very ends of the earth may look to him, and 
may know Christ, the light, to be given to them for 
their salvation. And when the sense of these things 
hath been deeply ui)on me, a holy and strong cry God 
hath raised in my soul to him, that we, who have 
known this fatherly visitation from on high, and who 
have beheld the day of the Lord, the rising of the 
Sun of righteousness, who is full of grace, and full 
of trutli, and have beheld his glory, and confessed it 
to-be the glory of tlie only begotten Son of God; and 
wlio by obedience to his appearance are become the 
cliildren of light and of the day, and as the first fruits 
to God after this long night of apostasy, — might for- 
ever walk and dwell in his holy covenant, Christ 
Jesus, the Light of the world ; because in him we 
have always peace, but out of him comes all the 
trouble. 



JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 57 

"And whilst this heavenly sense rested with me, 
the Lord God that made me and called me by his 
grace unto salvation, laid it upon me to visit you in a 
holy exhortation. And it is the exhortation of my 
life at .this time, in the earnest and fervent motion of 
the power and Spirit of Jesus, to beseech you all, who 
are turned to the light of Christ, which shineth in 
your hearts, and believe in it ; that you carefully and 
faithfully walk in it, in the same dread, awe, and fear, 
in which you began ; that that holy poverty of spirit, 
which is precious in the eyes of the Lord, and was in 
the days of your first love, may dwell and rest with 
you ; that you may daily feel the same heavenly hunger 
and thirst, the same lowliness and humility of mind, 
the same zeal and tenderness, and the same sincerity 
and love unfeigned ; that God may fill you out of his 
heavenly treasure with the riches of life, and crown 
you with holy victory and dominion over the god and 
spirit of this world; that your alpha may be your 
omega, and your author your finisher, and your first 
love your last love ; that so none may make shipwreck 
of faith and of a good conscience, nor faint by the 
way. As in this state we are kept in holy watchful- 
ness to God as in the beginning, the table which our 
heavenly Father spreads, and the blessings with which 
He compasseth us about, shall not become a snare unto 
us, nor shall we turn the grace and mercies of the 
Lord into wantonness; but we shall eat and drink in 
a holy fear, apparel ourselves in fear, buy and sell in 
fear, visit one another in fear, keep meetings, and there 



58 JOURNAL OF "WILLIAM PENN. 

wait upon tlie Lord in fear; yen, whatsoever we take 
in hand to do, it sluill be in the holy fear of God, and 
with a holy tenderness of his glory, and regard to the 
prosperity of his Truth: yea, we shall deny ourselves, 
not only in the unlawful things, but in the things that 
are even lawful to us, for the sake of the many millions 
that arc unconverted to God. 

" For my Friends and brethren, God hath laid upon 
us, whom He hath honored with the beginning of his 
great work in the world, the care both of this age, and 
of the ages to come; that they may walk as they have 
us for examples: — yea, the Lord God has chosen you 
to place his name in you; the Lord hath entrusted 
you with his glory, that you might hold it forth to all 
nations; and that tlie generations unborn may call 
you blessed. 

" Tlierefore let none be treacherous to the Lord, nor 
reward him evil for good ; nor betray his cause directly 
by wilful wickedness, nor indirectly by negligence and 
unfaithfulness, but be zealous and valiant for Truth 
on earth. Let none be slothful or careless : — Oh ! re- 
member the slotliful servant's state. Let the loving- 
kindness of the Lord overcome every soul to faithful- 
ness ; for with Him are riches and honor, and every 
good thing. And whither should any "go? He hath 
the words of eternal life. Oh! let none lose their tes- 
timony, but hold it up for God ; let thy gift be ever 
so small, thy testimony ever so little. Through thy 
whole conversation bear it for God, and be true to 
Avhat thou art convinced of. And wait all upon the 



JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PEXX. 59 

Lord, that you may grow in your heavenly testimony ; 
that life may fill your hearts, your houses, and your 
meetings ; that you may daily wait to know, and to 
receive power to do the will of God on earth, as it is 
in heaven. 

^^ And, oh ! that the cross of Jesus may be in high 
and honorable esteem with every one; that the liberty 
of all may stand in the cross, which alone preserveth : 
for it is the power of God that crucifieth us to the 
world, and the world to us. And through death, way 
is made unto life and immortality ; wdiich by this 
blessed cross, the Gospel, the power, is brought to 
light. So shall tlie seed of life that God hath sown 
in our hearts grow ; and in that seed shall we all come 
to be blessed, unto wdiom God hath appointed the 
dominion over us. And- it is good for all to live 
under the holy government of it ; for the ways of it 
are ways of pleasantness, and all its paths are peace; 
and ail that are born of it can say, Thy sceptre is a 
sceptre of righteousness. And, oh ! that all Friends 
everywhere may continually bow unto his righteous 
sceptre, and keep to his holy law, which is written in 
their hearts; that it may be a light to their feet, and 
a lantern to their paths. So shall they come to witness 
that holy promise made good unto them, ^The Spirit 
which I have given unto Him, the Seed, and the 
words which I have put into his mouth, shall not 
depart from Him, nor from his seed, nor from his 
seed's seed unto all generations.' 

" Wherefore, Friends, redeem the time, because the 



60 JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PEXN. 

days are evil ; — God hath given you to see they are 
so ; and be ye separated more and more, yea, perfectly 
disentangled from the cares of this workl. And be ye 
not cumbered with the many things ; but stand loose 
from the things that are seen, which are temporal. 

" And you that are poor, murmur not ; but be patient 
and trust in the Lord, and submit to his providence, 
and He will provide for you that which is convenient 
for the days of your appointed time. And you that 
are rich, keep in the moderation, and strive not to 
multij)ly earthly trea.sure, nor to heap up uncertain 
riches to yourselves; but what God hath given you 
more than is convenient for your own use, wait for 
his wisdom, to employ it for his glory, that you may 
l)e faithful stewards of this world's mammon ; and the 
Lord God shall reward you into your bosoms of the 
riches of that kino^dom that shall never have an end. 

"O my Friends and brethren ! whether rich or poor, 
in bonds or at liberty, in whatsoever state you are, the 
salutation of the universal life of Jesus is to you. And 
the exhortation is, to bow to what is made known unto 
you; and in the light, by which ye have received in 
measure the knowledge of God, watch and wait dili- 
gently to the further revelation of the mind and will 
of God unto you ; that yc may be endued from on 
fhigh with power and might in your inward man, to 
answer the call and requirings of the Lord ; that ye 
may be enabled to make known to the nations what 
is tlie riches of the glory of this blessed mystery in the 
Gentiles, which is Christ Jesus, the light of the world, 



JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 61 

in you the hope of gloiy. For this, I have to tell you, 
in the vision of the Almighty, that the clay of the 
breaking up of the nations about you, and of tlie 
sounding of the gospel-trurapet unto the inhabitants 
of the earth, is just at the door; and they that are 
worthy, who liave kept their habitation from the be- 
ginning, and have dwelt in the unity of the faith that 
overcometh the world, and have kept the bond of 
peace, the Lord God will empower and spirit you to 
go forth with his everlasting word and testament, to 
awaken and gather kindreds, languages, and people to 
the glory of the rising of the Gentiles' Light ; who is 
God's salvation unto the ends of the earth. 

'' And I must tell you, that there is a breathing, 
hungering, seeking people, solitarily scattered up and 
down this great land of Germany, where the Lord 
hath sent me; and I believe it is the like in other 
nations. The Lord hath laid it upon me, with my 
companions, to seek some of them out, and we have 
found several in divers places. We have had many 
blessed opportunities amongst them, wherein our hearts 
have greatly rejoiced ; having been made deeply sen- 
sible of the love of God towards them, and of the 
great openness and tenderness of spirit in 'them, to 
receive the testimony of light and life through us. 
We have a steadfast belief that the Lord will carry 
on his work in this land eifectually, and that He will 
raise up those that shall be as ministers of his eternal 
testament amongst them. And our desire is, that God 
w^ould put it into the hearts of many of his faithful 



62 JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 

witnesses to visit the inhabitants of this country, where 
God hath a great seed of people to be gathered ; that 
Ills worlv may go on in the earth, till the whole earth 
be filled with his glory. 

^^ And it is under the deep and weighty sense of this 
approaching work, tliat the Lord God hath laid it 
upon me to write to you, to wait for the further pour- 
ings out of the power and Spirit of the Lord ; that 
nothing which is careless, sleepy, earthly, or exalted 
may get up, whereby to displease the Lord, and cause 
him to withdraw his sweet and preserving presence 
from any that know him. But let all keep the peace 
of the King of Righteousness, and walk in the steps 
of the flocks of his companions ; for withering and 
destruction shall come upon all such as desert the 
camp of the Lord, or with their murmuring spirit 
disquiet the heritage of God ; for they are greater 
enemies to Zion's glory and Jerusalem's peace than the 
open armies of the aliens. 

"And it is a warning to all who make mention of 
the name of the Lord in this dispensation He hath 
brought us to, that they have a care how they let out 
their minds in any wise to please the lusts of the eye, 
the lusts of the flesh, and the pride of life, which are 
not of the Father, but of this world ; lest any be ex- 
alted in a liberty that maketh the cross of Jesus of 

ml 

none effect, and the oflence thereof to cease ; for such 
will become as salt that hath lost its savor, and at last 
will be trodden under the feet of God and men. For 
the Lord will withdraw his daily presence, and the 



JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 63 

fountain will come to be sealed up, and the well of 
salvation be stopped again. 

"Therefore, as all would rejoice in the joy of God's 
salvation, let them wait for the saving power, and 
dwell in it; that, knowing the mystery of the work 
of regeneration — Christ formed in them the hope of 
their glory — they may be able in the motion of Him, 
that hath begotten them through death to life, to go 
forth and declare the way of life and salvation. 

"And all you that are young, convinced of the 
eternal Truth, come into it, and then you will feel the 
virtue of it: and so you will be w^itnesses, otherwise 
vain talkers, wells without water, clouds w^ithout rain ; 
for which state, is reserved the blackness of darkness 
forever. Wherefore, gird up the loins of your minds, 
be sober, and tempt not God ; but receive the day of 
your visitation, w^alk worthy of so great love, and de- 
light to retain God in your knowledge; grieve not his 
holy Spirit, but join to it, and be led by it, that It may 
be an earnest to you of an eternal inheritance. Take 
up your daily cross and follow Christ, and follow not 
the spirit of this w^orld. He was meek and lowly, He 
was humble and j^lain ; He w^as few in words, but 
mighty in deeds. He loved not his life unto death, 
even the reproachful death of the cross; but laid down 
his life, and became of no reputation, and that for the 
rebellious. Oh, the height and depth, the length and 
the breadth, yea, the unsearchableness of the love of 
God in Christ Jesus. 

" Wherefore, wdiile it is to-day, hearken to his 



64 JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 

voice, and harden not your hearts : and make no bar- 
gains for self, neither consult with flesh and blood : but 
let the Lord be your light, and your salvation ; let 
Him be the strength of your life, and the length of 
your days. And this know assuredly, that none ever 
trusted to the Lord, and M-ere confounded. Where- 
fore, hold up your testimony for God, as ye would 
enjoy the increasings of his life and love; and let your 
light shine, and confess Him before the whole world. 
Smother not his appearance, neither hide the candle 
which God hath liohted in thee under a bushel ; for 
Christ walketh among his candlesticks of pure and 
tried gold. Wherefore, set thy light upon a candle- 
stick, and show forth thy good conversation in meek- 
ness and godly fear, that thou mayst become a good 
example, and others beholding thy good works, may 
glorify God. But, for the rebellious, the fearful, and 
the unbelieving, the day hastens upon such, in which 
the things that belong to their peace shall be hid from 
their eyes forever. 

^* And all you, my dear Friends and brethren, who 
are in sufferings for the testimony of Jesus, and a good 
conscience, look up to Jesus, the author and finisher 
of your faith ; who, for the joy that was set before 
Him, endured the cross and despised the shame, and is 
set down at the nght hand of the Father in the heav- 
enly place: — into which, if you faint not, you shall 
all be received,- after the days of your pilgrimage shall 
be at an end, with a ' Well, done, good and faithful 
servant.^ And though these afflictions seem not joy- 



JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 65 

oiis, but grievous, for the present^ yet a far more ex- 
ceeding weight of glory stands at the door. Where- 
fore, count it all joy when you fall into these trials, 
and persevere to the end ; knowing, He that shall 
come will come, and will not tarry, and that his re- 
ward is with him. Remember the martyrs of Jesus, 
who loved not their lives to the death, for his name- 
sake, who had called them ; and Jesus himself, who 
made a good confession before Pontius Pilate; who hath 
consecrated through his blood a new and living way. 
for all that come unto God by him ; who is made a 
High-priest, higher than the heavens, — one that can 
be touched and moved, and is daily touched and moved, 
with our weakness and infirmity; — that through Him 
we may be made strong in the Lord, and more than 
conquerors through Him that hath loved us. 

" Wherefore, let it not seem as if some strange thing 
had happened to you ; for all these things are for the 
trial of your faith, which is more precious than the 
gold that perisheth. It is the old quarrel ; — children 
of this world against the children of the Lord ; those 
that are born after the flesh, warring against those that 
are born after the Spirit ; the Jews, under the profes- 
sion of the letter of the law, against Christ that came 
to fulfil the law, and all his spiritual followers and 
disciples; and all the false apostate Christians against 
the true and spiritual Christians an^l martyrs of Jesus. 
So, your conflict is for the spiritual appearance of 
Christ Jesus against those that profess Him in words, 

but in works and conversation every day deny him; 
G* E 



66 JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 

doing despite to the Spirit of Grace in themselves, and 
those that are led by it. But though Gog and Magog 
shall gather themselves together to lay waste the city 
of God, yet the Lord hath determined their destruc- 
tion, and He will bring it to pass. 

" Wherefore rejoice, O thou hill of God, and clap 
thy hands for joy ; for He that is faithful and true, 
just and righteous, and able to deliver thee, dwells in 
the midst of thee — who will cause thee to p:row and 
increase, till thou become a great mountain, till thou 
become the praise of the whole earth, and the whole 
earth be filled with thy glory ! 

"And to you all, who ure the followers of the Lamb 
of God, who was dead, but is alive, and lives for ever- 
more, — who is risen in your hearts, as a bright shin- 
ing light, and is leading you out of the nature and 
spirit of this world, in the path of regeneration, — I 
have this to say, by way of holy encouragement unto 
you all : The Lord God that was, and is, and is to 
come, hath reserved for you the glories of the last 
days. And if the followers and martyrs of Jesus in 
ages past, when the church was going into the wilder- 
ness and his witnesses into sackcloth, were, notwith- 
standing, so noble and valiant for the Truth on earth, 
that they loved not their lives unto the death, and suf- 
fered joyfully the spoiling of their goods for the testi- 
mony of Jesus, liow much more ought you all to be 
encouraged unto faithfulness, who are come to the 
resurrection of the day which shall never more be 
eclipsed; in which the Bridegroom is to come, to fetch 



JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENN. G7 

you his spouse out of the wilderness, to give yoa 
beauty for aslies, and the garment of praise for the 
spirit of heaviness; who will cover you Avith his 
Spirit, and adorn you with his fine linen, the right- 
eousness of the saints. Lean upon His breast forever ! 
and know your joining in an everlasting covenant with 
Him, that He may lift up the light of his countenance 
upon you, and delight to do you good ; that in bless- 
ing He may bless you, increase you, and multiply you 
in all spiritual blessings now and forever; that to 
God, through Him, you may live all the days of your 
appointed time ; — to whom be glory and honor, 
praises and thanksgivings in the church, throughout 
all ages, and forever ! 

" I am, in the fiiith, patience, tribulation, and hope 
of the kingdom of Jesus, your friend and brother, 

William Penn/' 

^^ My companions in the labor and travail of the 
testimony of Jesus, salute you all in the love of our 
God. We have passed through several cities of Ger- 
many, and are now at Frankfort, where the Lord hath 
given us three blessed opportunities with a serious and 
seeking people ; whereof, as in other places of this 
country, many are persons of great worldly quality. 
Blessed be the name of the Lord, to whom be glory 
forever ! • W. P. 

"Frankfort, tlie 22iid of the Sixth month, 1677." 



68 JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 



CHAPTER IV. 

Krisheini — Epistle to Princess Elizabeth and Countess do Homes 

— Manheim — Letter to the Prince Elector Palatine of Heidel- 
burg — Meetings at KrisJieim — Worms — Frankfort — Mentz 

— Cologne — Diiysburg — Countess of Falkenstein — Sent out of 
his Territory by the Graef. 

ON tlie 23d of sixth month, we arrived by the way 
of Worms at Krisheim, in the Paltzgrave's 
country, wlicre we found, to our great joy, a meeting 
of tender and faithful people. 

But it seems the inspector of the Calvinists had 
enjoined the Yaught, or chief officer, not to suffer any 
preaching to be among our friends; who, poor man! 
fearing the indignation of the clergy, came next day 
to desire Friends not to suffer any preaching to be 
amongst them, lest he should be turned out of his 
place. To whom we desired Friends to say that, if 
he plea.sed, he might apprehend us, and carry us to the 
Prince, before whom we should give an account of our 
testiniony. 

But, blessed be the Lord ! we enjoyed our meeting 
quietly and comfortably ; of which a coachfnl from 
Worms made a part, amongst whom was a governor 
of tluit country, and one of the chief Lutheran priests. 

It came upcm me in this place to salute the Princess 
and Countess with this following epistle : 



JOURNAL- OF AVILLIAM PENN. 69 

"A salutation to Elizabeth, Princess Palatine, and Anna 

Maria cle Hemes, Countess of Homes, at Herwerden 

in Germany. 
"My worthy friends: 

" Such as I have, such I give unto you ; the dear 
and tender salutation of light, life, peace, and salva- 
tion by Jesus Christ, the blessed Lamb of God ; with 
the unspeakable joy of which. He has replenished my 
soul at this time, that my cup overfloweth ; which is 
the reward of those who cheerfully drink his cup of 
tribulations, love the cross, and triumph in all the 
shame, reproaches, and contradictions of the world that 
do attend it. My God take you by the hand, and 
gently lead you tlirough all the difficulties of regener- 
ation ; and as you have begun to know and love his 
sweet and tender drawings, so resign the whole con- 
duct of your lives to Him. 

" Dispute not away the precious sense that you have 
of Him, be it as small as a grain of mustard-seed, 
which is the least of all seeds; there is power in it, if. 
you do but believe, to remove the greatest mountains 
of opposition. 

"Precious is this faith, yea, more precious than the 
glory and honor of this world tliat perisheth : it will 
give courage to go with Christ before Caiaphas and 
Pilate; yea, to bear his cross without the camp, and to 
be crucified with him, knowing that the Spirit of God 
and of glory shall rest upon them. To the inheritors 
of this faith, is reserved the eternal kingdom of peace 
and joy in the Holy Ghost. 



70 JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 

" Oh ! be you of that little flock, unto whom Jesus 
said, ^ Fear not, for it is my Father's good pleasure to 
give you the kingdom ; ' and, to be of this flock, you 
must become as sheep ; and to be as sheep, you must 
become harmless ; and to become harmless, you must 
hear and follow the Lamb of God ; as He is that 
blessed Light which discovereth and condemneth all 
the unfruitful works of darkness, and maketh harm- 
less as a dove; which word, all, leaveth not one pec- 
cadillo or circumstance undiscovered or unjudged; and 
the word darkness, taketh in the whole night of apos- 
tasy ; and the word unfruitful, is a plain judgment 
against all those dark works. Wherefore, out of them 
all come, and be you separated; and God will give you 
a crown of life, which shall never fade away. 

^' Oh ! the lowness and meanness of those spirits that 
despise or neglect the joys and glories of immortality 
for the sake of the things which are seen, that are but 
temporal ; debasing the nobility of their souls, aban- 
doning the government of the divine Spirit, and em- 
bracing with all ardency of affection the sensual pleas- 
ures of this life ; but such as persevere therein, shall 
not enter into God's rest forever. 

" But this is not all that hindereth and obstructeth 
in the holy way of blessedness ; for there is the 
world's fear as well as the world's joy that obstructeth 
many, or else Christ had not said, * Fear not,' to his 
little flock. The shame of the cross is a yoke too un- 
easy, and a burden too heavy, for flesh and blood to 
bear, it is true ; but therefore, shall flesh and blood 



JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENN". 71 

never enter into the kingdom of God. And not to 
them that are born of the flesh, but to those that are 
born of tlie Spirit through the word of regeneration, is 
appointed the kingdom, and that throne which shall 
judge the twelve tribes of Israel, and all the world. 
The Lord perfect what He hath begun in you, and give 
you dominion over the love and fear of this world. 

" And, my friends, if you would profit in the way 
of God, despise not the day of small things in your- 
selves : know this, that to desire and sincerely to 
breathe after the Lord, is a blessed state. You must 
seek, before you find. Do you believe? make not 
haste; extinguish not those small beginnings by an 
over-earnest or impatient desire of victory. God's 
time is the best time ; be you faithful, and your con- 
flict shall end with glory to God, and the reward of 
peace to your own souls. Therefore love the judg- 
ment, and love the fire ; start not aside, neither flinch 
from the scorchings of it, for it will purify and refine 
you as gold seven times tried ; then cometh the stamp 
and seal of the Ijord upon his own vessel. Holiness to 
Him forever; which He never gave, nor will give to 
reprobate silver, the state of the religious worshippers 
of the world. And herein be comforted, that Zion 
shall be redeemed through judgment, and her converts 
through righteousness; and after the appointed time 
of mourning is over, the Lord will give ' beauty for 
ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, and the garment of 
praise for the spirit of heaviness.' Then shall you be 
able to say, ' Who is he that condemneth us ? God 



72 JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 

hath justified us; there is iio couclenination to us that 
are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but 
after the S[)irit.' 

" Wherefore, my dear friends, walk not only not 
after the fleshly lusts, but also not after the fleshly re- 
ligions and worships of the world ; for that which is 
not born of the Spirit is flesh, and all flesh shall wither 
as the grass, and the beauty of it shall fade away as the 
flower of the field, before God's Sun that is risen, and 
rising. But the Word of the Lord in which is life, 
and that life the light of men, shall endure forever, 
and g'rve life eternal to them that love and walk in 
the light. 

'^ And I entreat you, by the love you have for Jesus, 
liave a care how you touch with fleshly births, or say 
Amen, by word or practice, to that which is not born 
of the Spirit; for God is not to be found of that, in- 
yourselves or others, which calleth him Father, and 
He hath never begotten it in them; tliat latitude and 
conformity is not of God, but secretly grieveth his 
Spirit, and obstructeth the growth of the soul in its 
acquaintance and intimate communion with the Lord. 
^ Without me,' saith Jesus, 'you can do nothing;' and 
*all that came before me are thieves and robbers.' If 
so, what are tliey that pray, and preach, and sing with- 
out Jesus, and follow not liim in those duties, but even 
crucify him in them ? Oh that I may find in you an 
ear to hear, and a heart to perceive and embrace these 
truths of Jesus ! 

"And I can say I have great cause to hope, and 



JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 73 

patiently to wait till the salvation of God be farther 
revealed to you, and the whole family ; with Avhoni, I 
must acknowledge, I was abundantly refrevshed and 
comforted, in that God in measure made known the 
riches of his grace and operation of his celestial power 
to you; and his witness shall dwell with you, if we 
never see you more, that God magnified his own 
strength in our weakness. With Him we leave our 
travails, affectionately recommending you to his holy 
Spirit of grace, that you may be conformed to the 
image of his own dear Son, who is able and ready to 
preserve you. Oh, stay your minds upon him, and He 
will keep you in perfect peace, and abide with you for- 
ever ! The Almighty take you into his holy protection 
now and forever. 

^^ I am your true friend, ready to serve you with 
fervent love in the will of God. 

^^ William Penn. 

^' P. S. My dear companions do, with me, give you 
the dear salutation of unfeigned love, and those in the 
family that love and desire to follow the Lord Jesus 
in sincerity and truth without wavering. We are this 
evening bound towards Manheim, the court of the 
prince Palatine, and have travelled about twelve Eng- 
lish miles on foot.^' 

That night we lodged at Frankenhal, and got the 
next morning, being the seventh-day of the week, to 

Mariheim ; but were disappointed of our design, which 

7 



74 JOUENAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 

was to speak with the prince, for he was gone the day 
before to Heidelberg, his chief city, about fifteen Eng- 
lish miles from that place. Considering, that by rea- 
son of the meeting next day with Friends at Krisheim, 
already appointed, we could neither go forward nor 
stay till he returned ; and yet being not clear to come 
away, as if we had never endeavored to visit him, it 
was upon me to write him this following letter, to let 
him know we had been there, and briefly our end in 
coming. 

^' To the Prince Elector Palatine of Heidelberg. 
" Great Prince : 

" It would seem strange that I, both a stranger and 
a subject, should use this freedom of address to a prince, 
Avere he not one whose actions show him to be of a free 
disposition, and easy access to all : would to God all 
princes were of that mind ! But I have not chosen 
this way of application ; I am driven to it, by the dis- 
appointment thy absence from this court gave me, and 
the necessity I am under to expedite my return. And 
though I cannot so fully, and consequently not so 
clearly, express by letter the grounds inducing me to 
attempt this visit, yet this being all the way that is 
left me, I shall declare them as well as I can. 

" In the first place, I do with all sincere and Chris- 
tian respect acknowledge and commend that induU 
gence thou givest to all people professing religion, 
dissenting from the national communion : for it is in 
itself a most natural, prudent, and Christian thing. 



JOUENAL OF WILLIAM PENN. /5 

" Natural, — because it preserves nature from l/eing 
made a sacrifice to the savage fury of fallible^ yet proud 
.opinions, outlawing men of parts, arts, industry, and 
honesty, the grand requisites of human society, and 
exposing them and their families to utter ruin for mere 
non-conformity, not to religion, but to modes and fash- 
ions in religion. 

" Christian, — since the contrary, expressly contra- 
dicts both the precept and example of Christ, who 
taught us to love enemies, not to abuse our friends, or 
triumph in the destruction of our harmless neighbors. 
He rebuked his disciples, when they called for fire 
from heaven upon dissenters, it may be, opposers : 
certainly then He never intended that they should 
kindle fire on earth to devour men for conscience. 
And if Christ, to whom all power was given, and his 
holy apostles, refused to employ human force and arti- 
fice so much as to preserve themselves, it is an arro- 
gancy every way indefensible in those that pretend to 
be their followers, that they assume an authority to 
supersede, control, and contradict the precepts and ex- 
amples of Christ and his apostles, whose kingdom not 
being of the nature of this ambitious, violent world, 
was not erected or maintained by those weapons that 
are carnal, but spiritual and intellectual, adequate to 
the nature of the soul, and mighty through God to cast 
down the strongholds of sin, and every vain imagina- 
tion exalted in man above the lowly, meek fear of God, 
that ought to have the pre-eminence in the hearts of 
the sons of men. 



76 JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 

" Indulgence is prudent, in tliat it preserveth con- 
cord : no kingdom divided against itself can stand. It 
encourageth arts, parts, and industry, to show and im- 
prove themselves, which indeed are the ornaments, 
strength, and wealth of a country : it encourageth peo- 
ple to transplant into this land of liberty, where the 
sweat of the brow is not made the forfeit of the con- 
science. 

^' And lastly, it rendereth the prince peculiarly safe 
and great. Safe, because all interests, for interest sake, 
are bound to love and court him. Great, in that he is 
not governed or clogged with the power of his clergy ; 
which in most countries is not only a co-ordinate power, 
a kind of duumvirateship in government, impenum in 
imperio, at least an eclipse to monarchy; but a supe- 
rior power, and rideththe prince to their designs, hold- 
ing the helm of the government, and steering not by 
the laws of civil freedom, but certain ecclesiastical 
maxims of their own, to the maintenance and enlarge- 
ment of their worldly empire in their church. And 
all this acted under the sacred, peaceable, and alluring 
name of Christ, his ministry and church ; though as 
remote from their nature as the wolf from the sheej), 
and the pope from Peter. 

" The next thing I should have taken the liberty to 
have discoursed, would have been this : what encour- 
agement a colony of virtuous and industrious families 
might hope to receive from thee, in case they should 
transplant themselves into this country, which cer- 
tainly in itself is very excellent, respecting taxes, oaths, 
arms, etc. 



JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENJ^". 77 

" Further, to liave represented the condition of some 
of our Friends, and thy own subjects; who, though 
they are liable to the same tax as Menists, etc., yet the 
Vaught of the town where they live, came yesterday 
to forbid all preaching amongst them, which implies a 
sort of contradiction to the indulgence 'given. 

" And in the last place, forasmuch as all men owe 
their being to something greater than themselves, to 
which it is reasonable to believe they are accountable, 
from whence follow rewards or punishments, — I had 
an earnest desire to have spoken of the nature, truth, 
use, benefit, and reward of religion ; and therein to 
have discoursed, what the Christian religion is in 
itself, freed from those unreasonable garbs some men 
make it to wear, so justly offensive to wise and think- 
ing men — thus to have proved the principle and life 
of the people in scorn called Quakers, to be suitable 
to the true followers of holy Jesus. But, as the par- 
ticulars would swell a letter to a book, I shall take the 
freedom to present thee, upon my return, with, some 
tracts treating upon all these subjects. 

u Prii^cg I ly^Y gonl is filled with love and respect to 
thee and thy family ; I wish you all true and lasting 
felicity, and earnestly desire that you may never forget 
your afflictions, and in the remembrance of them be 
dehorted from those lusts and impieties which draw 
the vengeance of heaven upon the greatest fauiilies on 
earth ; that God may look upon you with the favor- 
able eye of his providence. And blessed is that man, 

whose God by profession is his Lord in reality ; who 

7^ 



78 JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 

is ruled and governed by the Lord, lives in subjection 
to his grace, and having a Divine sense of God in his 
heart, de]i«;hts to retain that sense and knowleds^e of 
him, and be meditating in his noble royal law, that 
converts the soul to God, and redeems man from the 
sensual pleasures of this world to the true satisfaction 
of the intellectual and Divine life. 

"Oh, the meanness and lowness of their spirits who 
abandon themselves to the government of sense, the 
animal life, thereby debasing their natures, rejecting 
tlic Divine li^ht, that shineth in their hearts, savin";, 
'Let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we shall die;^ 
forgetting whence they are descended, and not consid- 
ering the peace and joy of the virtuous ! 

" I desire that the Lord would put it into thy heart 
to think of thy latter end, and with the light of 
Christ in thy conscience examine how it stands with 
thy soul, that thou mayst know, and diligently watch 
to do those things that belong to thy eternal peace. 

" One thing more give me leave to recommend to 
thee, and that is, to be very careful to inculcate gen- 
erous, free, and righteous principles into thy son, who 
is likely to succeed thee ; that when thou art gone, the 
reputation of the country may not sink by contrary 
practices, nor the jieople of divers judgments, now thy 
subjects, be disappointed, distressed, or ruined. Which, 
with sincere desires for thy temporal and eternal good, 
conclude this. 

" Thy unknown, but sincere friend, 

" William Penn. 

"From Manheira, 25th of Sixth month, 1677." 



JOUEXAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 79' 

This being done, and having refreshed ourselves, we 
returned that night by the Rhine to Worms; whence, 
the next morning, being the first-day of the week, we 
walked on foot to Krisheim, about six Eliglish miles 
from Worms. We had a good meeting from the tenth 
till the third hour, and the Lord\s power was sweetly 
opened to many of the inhabitants of the town who 
were at the meeting. The Vaught or chief officer 
hiinself stood at the door behind the barn, where he 
could hear and not be seen ; and went to the priest 
and told him that it was his work, if we were heretics, 
to discover us to be such, but for his part he heard 
nothing but what was good, and he would not meddle 
with us. 

In the evening we had a more retired meeting of 
the Friends only, very -weighty and tender; yea, the 
power rose in a high operation among them, and great 
was the love of God that was in our hearts at the 
meeting to visit them ; and there is a lovely, sweet, 
and true sense among them. -We were greatly com- 
forted in them, and they were greatly comforted in us. 
Poor hearts ! a little handful surrounded with great 
and mighty countries of darkness; it is the Lord's 
great goodness and mercy to them, that they are so 
finely kept in the Seed of life. Most of them were 
gathered by dear William Ames. 

On the 27th we had another meeting^, where we took 
our leave of them, and, accompanied by several of them, 
came to Worms; where having refreshed ourselves, 
we went to visit the Lutheran priest, who was at the 



80 JOUENAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 

meeting tlie sixtli-day before at Krisheim. He and 
Ills wife received us very kindly, not without some 
sense of onr testiniony. After w^e had discoursed 
about an hour with him of the true and heavenly 
ministry and worship, and in wdiat they stood, and 
what all |>eople must come to, if they ever know how 
to worship God aright, we departed, and immediately 
sent them several good books of Friends in High 
Dutch. 

We took boat about the third hour in the afternoon, 
and came down the river Khine to Mentz, where we 
arrived about the fifth hour in the morning ; and im- 
mediately took an open chariot for Frankfort, where 
we came about the first hour in the afternoon. We 
presently informed some of those people that had re- 
ceived us the time before, of our return to that city, 
with desires that we might have a meeting that after- 
jioon ; wdiich was readily granted us by the noble 
women at whose house we met, whither resorted some 
that we liad not seen before. And the Lord did, after 
a living manner, open our hearts and mouths amongst 
them, wdiich was received by them as a further con- 
firmation of the coming of the day of the Lord unto 
tlicm ; yea, with much joy and kindness they received 
us. The meeting held till the ninth hour at iiiglit ; 
they constrained us to stay and eat with them, which 
was also a blessed meeting to them. Before we parted, 
we desireil a select meeting the next morning at the 
same i)lace, of those that we felt to be more inwardly 
allected with Truth's testimony, and that were nearest 



JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 81 

to the state of a silent meeting; to wlilch they joy- 
fully assented. 

We went to our lodging, and on the 29th returned 
to them, with whom we had a blessed and heavenly 
opportunity; for we had room for our life amongst 
them: it was as among faithful Friends; life ran as 
oil, and was a-top of all. 

We recommended a silent meeting to them, that 
they might grow into a holy silence unto themselves ; 
that the mouth that calls God, Father, and is not of 
liis own birth, may be stopped, and all images con- 
founded ; that they may hear the soft voice of Jesus 
to instruct them, and receive his sweet life to feed them 
and to build them up. 

About the ninth hour we departed from that place, 
and went to Vanderwalls, where the meeting was the 
time before ; and there we had a more public meeting 
of all that pleased to come. The Lord did so abun- 
dantly appear amongst us, that they were more broken 
than we had seen them at any time ; yea, they w^ere 
exceedingly tender and low, and the love of God was 
much raised in their hearts to the testimony. In this 
sensible frame we left them, and the blessings and 
peace of our Lord Jesus Christ with and among 
them. 

After having refreshed ourselves at our inn, we took 
boat down the Main to Mentz, where we arrived about 
the fifth hour. It is a great city, but a dark and 
superstitious place, according to the popish way, and 
is under the government of a popish bishop. We 

F 



82 JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 

stayed no longer tliere than until our boat was ready, 
which miii'ht be more than half an hour. From Mentz 
we went on our way down the Rhine six German 
miles, and came that night to Hampack. From thence 
the next morning by Bacharach, Coblentz, and other 
places upon the Rhine, to Tressy that night, being 
about eleven German miles. 

Xext day, the 31st, we got to Cologne, a great 
popish city, about the third hour in the afternoon. 
VCc gave notice to a sober merchant, a serious seeker 
after God, that we were arrived, who presently came 
to us. We sat down, and had a living and precious 
opportunity with him; opening to him the way of the 
Lord, as it had been manifested to us; entreating him, 
if he knew any in that city who had desires after the 
Lord, or Were willing to come to a meeting, that he 
would please to inform them of our being here, and 
of oiu- desire to meet with them. He answered, that 
lie would readily do it. This night, when we were in 
bed, came the Resident of several princes, a serious 
and tender man, to find us out ; we had some discourse 
with him; but, being late, he promised to see us tlie 
next day. • 

The next morning the aforesaid merchant informed 
us that it was a busy time, several preparing for the 
mass or great fair at Frankfort; yet some would come, 
and he desired it might be at his house about three in 
the afternoon. 

That morning avc went to visit the Resident, whom 
we met coming to see us ; but he returned and brought 



JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 83 

US to his house. We had a good time with him ; for 
the man is an ancient seeker, oppressed with the cares 
of this world, and he may be truly said to mourn 
under them. His heart was opened to us, and he 
blessed God that he had lived to see us. We gave 
him an account how the Lord had appeared in the 
land of our nativity, and how He had dealt with us ; 
which was as the cool and gentle showers upon the 
dry and scorched desert. About noon we returned 
home, and after we had eaten, we went to the mer- 
chant's house to the meeting ; where came four persons, 
one of whom was the Presbyterian priest, who preached 
in private to the Protestants of that place, for they 
are in no ways publicly allowed in that city. Surely, 
the true day and power of the Lord made itself known 
to the consciences of those present : yea, they felt that 
we were such as had been with Jesus, and had obtained 
our testimony through the sufferings and travails of 
the cross. They were tender : the Resident and mer- 
chant conducted us to our inn, and from thence to the 
boat, being about seven at night. We set out towards 
the city of Duysburg, of the Calvinist way, belonging 
to the Elector of Brandenburg ; in and near to which, 
we had been informed, there was a retired and seeking 
people. 

We arrived there on the second of seventh month, 
about noon, being the first-day of the week. The first 
thing we did, after we came to our inn, was to inquire 
out one Dr. Mastricht, a civilian, for whom we had a 
letter to introduce us, from a merchant of Cologne : 



84 JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENK. 

wliom quickly finding, we informed liini what we eame 
about, desiring liis assistance; which lie readily prom- 
ised us. Tlie first thing we offered, was an access to 
the Countess of Falkenstein and Bruck. He told us 
she was an extraordinary woman, one in whom we 
should find things worthy of our love; Hiat lie would 
write to her, to give us an opportunity with her; that 
the fittest time was the present time, in tliat we might 
find her at the minister's of Mulheim, on the other 
side of the river from her father's castle; for that she 
used to come out on first-dav mornino;, and not return 
till night ; that we must be very shy of making our- 
selves public, not only for our own sakes, but for hers, 
who was severely treated by her father, for the sake 
of those religious inclinations that a]>peared in her, 
altliough her father pretended to be of the Protestant 
religion. 

We therefore despatched towards Mulheim, having 
received his letter, and being also accompanied by him 
about one-third of the way. But being six English 
miles, and on foot, we could not compass the place be- 
fore the meeting was over; for it was past three before 
we could get out of Duysburg : and, following that way 
which led to the back of the Graef 's castle and orchard, 
which was also a common way to the town, (though if 
we had known the country we might have avoided it,) 
we met with one Henry Smith, schoolmaster and cate- 
cliizer of Speklorp, to whom we imparted our business, 
and gave the letter of Dr. Mastricht of Duysburg to 
introduce us to the Countess. 



JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 85 

He told us lie had just left her, being come over the 
water from worship, but he would carry the letter to 
her, and bring an answer suddenly ; but notwithstand- 
ing, stayed nearly an hour. When he came he gave us 
this answer ; namely, that she would be glad to meet 
us, but she did not know where; but rather inclined 
that we should go over the water to the minister's 
house, whither, if she could, she would come to us ; 
but that a strict hand was held over her by her father. 
After some more serious discourse with him, concern- 
ing the w^itness of God in the conscience, and the dis- 
covery, testimony, and judgment of that true light, 
unto which all must bow that would be heirs of the 
kingdom of God ; recommending him to the same, Ave 
parted ; he returning homewards, and we advancing 
to the town. Being necessitated to pass by her father's 
castle, who is seignior or lord of that country, it so fell 
out that at that very instant he came forth to walk; 
and seeino; us in the habit of strancyers, sent one of his 
attendants to demand who and from whence we were? 
and whither we went? calling us afterwards to him, and 
asking us the same questions. We answered, that we 
were Englishmen come from Holland, going no fur- 
ther in these parts than his own town of Mulheim. 
But not sJiowing him, or paying him that worldly 
homage and respect which was expected from us, some 
of his gentlemen asked us if we knew whom we were 
before? and if we did not use to deport ourselves after 
another manner before noblemen, and in the 23resence 

of princes ? We answered; we were not conscious to 
8 



86 JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENIs^. 

ourselv^es of any disrespect or unseemly behavior. One 
of them sharply replied, " Why do not yon pull off 
your hats, then ? Is it respect, to stand covered in the 
presence of the sovereign of the country ? '^ We told 
them, it was our practice in the presence of our prince, 
who is a great king, and that we uncovered not our 
heads to any, but in our duty to Almighty God. Upon 
which the Graef called us Quakers, saying to us, '^ We 
have no need of Quakers here ; get you out of my do- 
minions ; you shall not go to my town." 

We told him we were an innocent people, that feared 
God, and had good-will towards all men ; that we had 
true respect in our hearts towards him, and would be 
glad to do him any real good or service; and that the 
Lord had made it matter of conscience to us, not to 
conform ourselves to the vain and fruitless customs of 
this world, or words to this purpose. However, he 
commanded some of his soldiers to see us out of his 
territories ; to whom we also declared somewhat of tlie 
reason and intention of our coming to that place, in the 
fear and love of God ; and they were civil to us. 

We parted with much peace and comfort in our 
hearts; and as we passed through the village vv^here 
the schoolmaster dwelt, (yet in tlie dominions of the 
Graef,) we called upon him, and in the sense of God's 
power and kingdom opened to him the message and 
testimony of Truth, wliich the man received with a 
weighty and serious spirit. Under the dominion of 
the Graef, there is a large congregation of Protestants 
called Calvinists, of a more religious, inward, and zeal- 



JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENi^. 87 

ous frame of spii-it than any body of people we met 
with or heard of in Germany. 

After we had ended our testimony to him, we took 
our leave, desiring him not to fear, but to be of good 
courage, for tlie day of the Lord was hastening upon 
all the worlsiers of iniquity : and to them that feared 
his name, wherever scattered throughout the earth, 
He would cause the Sun of righteousness to arise and 
visit them, with healing under his wings. We desired 
he would remember us with true love and kindness to 
the Countess, daughter to the Graef ; and to desire her 
not to be offended in us, nor to be dismayed at the dis- 
pleasure of her father, but eye the Lord who hath vis- 
ited her soul with his holy light, by which she seeth 
the vanity of this world, and in some measure the 
emptiness and deadness of the religions that are in it; 
and He would preserve her from the fear of the wrath 
of men, that worketh not the righteousness of God. 
So we left the peace of Jesus with him and walked on 
towards Duysburg, being about six English miles 
from thence, and near the eighth hour at night. The 
Lord was with us, and comforted our hearts with the 
joy of his salvation, as we walked, without any out- 
ward guide, through a tedious aiid solitary wood, about 
three miles long. He gave us to remember, and to 
speak one unto another of his blessed witnesses in the 
days past, who wandered up and down like poor pil- 
grims and strangers on the earth, their eye being to 
a city in the heavens that hath foundations, whose 
builder and maker is God. 



88 JOURJs^AL OF WILLIAM PENN. 

Between nine and ten o'clock, we reached the walls 
of Duysburg ; but the gates were shut, and there being 
no houses without the walls, we laid us dow^n together 
in a field, receiving both natural and spiritual refresh- 
meut : blessed be the Lord. About three o'clock in 
the morning we rose, sanctifying God in our hearts 
who had kept us that night, and walked till five 
o'clock, often speaking one to another of the great aud 
notable day of the Lord dawning upon Germany, and 
of several places in that land that were almost ripe 
unto harvest. 



CHAPTER V. 

Epistle to Coutitcps of Falkenstoiu — Letter to the Gracf — Inter- 
view will) i)r. Mastricht — Meeting at Wesel — Religious Op- 
portunity with a Lady at Cleves. 

800X after the clock had struck five, they opened 
the gates of the city, and we had not long been at 
our inn, when it came upon me, with a sweet yet fer- 
vent power, to visit this persecuted Countess with a 
salutation from the love and life of Jesus, and to open 
nnto her more plainly the way of the Lord; which I 
did in this following epistle : 

" To the Countess of Falkenstein and Bruch, at Mulliehn, 
" My dear friend : 

"Jesus, the immaculate Lamb of God, grieved and 
crucified by all the workers of iniquity, illuminate 



JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 89 

thy Tiiiderstandiiig, bless and be with thy spirit for- 
ever ! 

" Though unknown, yet art thou much beloved, for 
the sake of thy desires and breathings of soul after the 
living God ; the report whereof, from some in the same 
state, hath made deep impression of true kindness upon 
my spirit, and raised in me a very singular and fer- 
vent inclination to visit thee : and the rather, because 
of that suffering and tribulation thou hast begun to 
endure for the sake of thy zeal towards God ; myself 
having from my childhood been both a seeker after 
the Lord, and a great sufferer for that cause, from 
parents, relations, companions, and the magistrates of 
this world. The remembrance whereof, hath so much 
the more endeared thy condition unto me ; and my 
soul hath often, in the sweet sense and feeling of the 
holy presence of God, and the precious life of his dear 
Son in my heart, with great tenderness implored his 
Divine assistance unto thee, that thou mayst both be 
illuminated to do, and made willing to suffer for his 
name^s sake ; that the Spirit of God and of glory may 
rest upon thy soul. 

'^ And truly I can say, I felt the good-will of God, 
his holy care and heavenly visitation of love to extend 
unto thee. But one thing more especially lay upon 
my spirit to have communicated to thee, which made 
me the more pressing for an opportunity to speak with 
thee, and that was this: that thou shouldst have a true, 
right, and distinct knowledge of thy own state, and 
what that is which hath visited thee ; in what thy 
8* 



90 JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 

faith, patience, hope, and salvation stand ; where to 
wait, and how to find the Lord ; and to distinguish 
between that which is born of God and that which is 
not, both with respect to tliyself in all the motions and 
conceptions of thy heart, and with respect to others in 
their religious worships and performances ; to the end, 
that thou mayst not be deceived about things reUiting 
to God's kingdom, and thy eternal peace: this is of the 
greatest weight. 

" Now, know certainly, that which hath discovered 
unto thee the vanities of this world, the emptiness and 
the fading of all earthly glory, the blessedness of the 
righteous, and the joy of the world that is to come, is 
the light of Christ Jesus, wherewith He hath enlight- 
ened thy soul : for, ^ in Him was life, and that life is the 
light of mankind/ Thus God promised by the- pro- 
phet Isaiah, to give Him ^ for a light to lighten the 
Gentiles, and for his salvation to the ends of the earth.' 
So that Christ the Light is God's gift, and eternal life 
is hid in Him, yea, all the treasures of wisdom and 
knowledge; who is the light of the Gospel temple, even 
true believers. And all who receive this light into 
their hearts, and bring their deeds to it, to see in what 
ground they are wrought, whether in God or in the 
evil one, and make this blessed light the guide of their 
life; fearing, with a holy fear, to do anything that this 
light manifests to be evil ; waiting and watching with 
a godly care, to be preserved blameless before the Lord ; 
— I sav, all such become children of li":ht, and witnesses 
of the life of Jesus. Oh, blessed wilt thou be forever, if 



JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENK. 91 

in the way of this holy light thy mind walks to the 
end ! 

'^ Let this that hath visited thee lead thee; this seed 
of light and life^ which is the seed of the kingdom. 
Yea, it is Christ, the true and only seed of God, that 
visited my soul, even in my young years; that spread 
my sins in order before me, reproved me, and brought 
godly sorrow upon me; making me often to weep in 
solitary places, and say within my soul, ^ Oh, that I 
knew the Lord as I ought to know him ! Oh, that I 
served him as I ought to serve him ! ' Yea, often was 
there a great concern upon my spirit about my eternal 
state, mournfully desiring that the Lord would give my 
soul rest in the great day of trouble. Now was all the 
glory of the world as a bubble; yea, nothing was dear 
to me that I might win Christ : for the love, friend- 
ship, and pleasure of this world were a burden unto 
ray soul. And in this seeking state, I was directed to 
the testimony of Jesus in my own conscience, as the 
true shining light, giving me to discern the thoughts 
and intents of my own heart. And no sooner was I 
turned unto it, but I found it to be that which from my 
childhood had visited me, though I distinctly knew 
it not. And when I received it in the love of it, it 
showed me all that ever I had done, and reproved all 
the unfruitful works of darkness ; judging me as a man 
in the flesh, and laying judgment to- the line, and right- 
eousness to the plummet in me. And as by the bright- 
ness of his coming into my soul. He discovered the man 
of sin there upon his throne, so by the breath of his 



92 JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 

mouth, which is tlie two-edged sword of His Spirit, he 
destroyeth his power and kingdom. And having made 
me a witness of the death of the cross, He hath also 
made me a witness of his resurrection. So that in ofood 
measure my soul can now say, I am justified in the 
Spirit; and though the state of condemnation unto 
death was glorious, yet justification unto life was and 
is more glorious. 

*' In this state of the new man, all is new : behold, 
new heavens and a new earth ! Old things come to be 
done away ; the old man with his deeds put off. Now, 
new thoughts, new desires, new affections, new love, new 
friendship, new society, new kindred, new faith ; even 
that which overcometh this world, through many tribu- 
lations ; and new hope, even that living hope that is 
founded upon true experience, which holds out all 
storms, and can see to the glory that is invisible to 
carnal eyes, in the midst of the greatest tempest. 

" It is the same blessed seed of light, life, and grace, 
which from God the Father is sown in thy heart, and 
which hath moved and wrought there the change which 
thou hast witnessed from the spirit of this world. Turn 
to it, watch in it, that by it thou mayst be kept from 
all that it discovers to be contrary to God ; especially 
from thyself, from thy own runnings, wil lings, and 
strivings. For whatsoever is not born of the Spirit is 
flesh, and that inherits not the kingdom of God ; but 
all that sow to it shall inherit corruption. By this 
thou wilt come to feel, not only all sin to be a burden, 
but all thy own righteousness, yea, all man's righteous- 



JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 93 

ness, to be a burden. Thou wilt see the dliference be- 
tween the duties and prayers wlilch thou begettest, and 
the duties and prayers which, in thy true silence from 
all self-activity of mind, the Lord begets in thee, 

^' Oh, that thou mightst know the mystery of the new 
birth, and what that is that can truly call God, Father ; 
even that which is begotten of him, which liveth, and 
breatheth, and hath its beginning and being in that 
life which is hid with Christ in God, and by which it 
hath been quickened to the knowledge and worship of 
Christ and God. And this thou shalt not fail to know 
and enjoy, as thou patiently suiferest the Lord to work 
his own work in thee by his own blessed Spirit. And 
that which will give thee to savor and discern the 
right motions and conceptions, duties and performances 
in thyself, from the false, will give thee to savor and 
discern that which is right from that which is false in 
others; that which is of God, from that which is of 
man. 

"Have a care of gathering sticks, and kindling a 
fire of thy own, and then compassing thyself about 
with the sparks of the fire which thou hast kindled, 
for the end of this state is to lie down in sorrow ; 
because the heavenly fire is absent, which maketh the 
sacrifice acceptable : yea, the Lord may stir in thy 
heart, but thou mayst bring forth : but He that gives 
to conceive. He brings to tlfe birth, and He giveth 
power to bring forth acceptably ; for without Christ we 
can do nothing ; and blessed are they that stir not, 
before the angel moveth the waters, and go not before 



94 JOUHNAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 

Christ, but are led by him, and tliat awaken not their 
Beloved till He please ; in whose liands the times and 
the seasons are. Oh, blessed are they whose eyes are 
opened to see Him always present, a God always nigh 
at hand ; whose liearts are stayed upon his holy appear- 
ance in them, and are thereby translated into his like- 
ness ; whose faith and hope are in Christ in them, the 
hope of glory. 

" My dear friend, weigh these things with a serious, 
retired, sweet, and tender frame of spirit ; and God, 
who hath called me and thee, by the liglit of his dear 
Son, open thy understanding to perceive the Truth as 
it is in Jesus, and what is the mystery of the fellow- 
sliip of the saints in light. So to tlie Lord I recom- 
mend thee, the Watchman and Keeper of Israel. The 
Lord be thy strength and holy comfort, and speak 
peace to thee, and never leave thee nor forsake thee 
till He hath conducted thee, through all tribulations, 
to his everlasting kingdom of rest and glory. 

'' O dear heart ! be valiant, and stay thyself upon 
Christ Jesus, the everlasting rock, and feel him a foun- 
tain in thy soul ; feel his blood to cleanse, and his blood 
to drink, and his flesh to eat : feed upon him, for God 
hath given Him for the life of the world. 

" I had seen thee, had not thv father's stran2:e sort 
of severity hindered. I confess I do not use to be so 
treated in my own country, where the Lord hath raised 
up many thousands of witnesses, that He hath gathered, 
out of all sects and professions, to worship Him, not in 
their spirits or wills, but in his will, Spirit, and Truth. 



JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 95 

And we are generally, after much affliction and suffer- 
ing, in good esteem, even with the great ones of this 
world. And this let me add for thy particular com- 
fort, that though I have been a man of great anguish 
and sorrow, because of the scorn and reproach that hath 
attended my separation from the world, (having been 
taught of Jesus to turn my back upon all, for the sake 
of that glory that shall be revealed ;) yet to God's honor 
I can say it, I have a hundred friends for one, yea, God 
hath turned the hearts of my enemies towards me ; He 
hath fulfilled his promise, to turn the hearts of the 
parents unto the children. For my parents, that once 
disowned me for this blessed testimony's sake, (of the 
Jew, Christian, circumcision, and baptism inward, 
against the fleshly Christian,) have come to love me 
above all, and have left me all ; thinking they could 
never do and leave enough for me. Oh, how good is 
the Lord ! yea, the ways of his mercy are even past 
finding out. 

" Wherefore, my dear friend, trust in the Lord for- 
ever; and the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the 
God of the prophets and of the apostles, the God of all 
the holy martyrs of Jesus, illuminate, fortify, and pre- 
serve thee steadfast ; that in the end thou mayst receive 
the reward of life and eternal salvation : to whom be 
glory, and to the Lamb that sits upon tlie throne, one 
God, and one Lord, blessed and magnified forever and 
ever, amen ! 

" Thy great and faithful lover for the blessed and . 
holy Truth's sake, William Penn. 

" DuYSBURG, the 13th of the Seventh month, 1677. 



96 JOURNAL OF "WILLIAM PENN. 

" P. S. The enclosed I received from a religious 
young woman at Frankfort. AYe have had a blessed 
opportunity in this town with some that have a desire 
after the Lord, in which we are abundantly comforted. 
We have just now received thy message and salutation 
from H. v., which liath exceedingly refreshed and re- 
vived us; for our trouble was not for ourselves, but 
for thee; and we hope our love will not turn to thy 
disadvantage, for we mentioned nothing of thy name, 
nor the name of any other person, only that we desired 
to speak with the minister of Mulheim, and that was 
only to the soldier. The Lord made us a good bed in 
the fields, and we were very well satisfied. We are 
going this afternoon out of the town towards Wesel, 
from thence to Cleve, and thence to Herwerden, (the 
Lord willing;) -SO farewell in the Lord.'^ 

Here follows a letter to her father, the Graef of 
Bruck and Falkenstein. 

'' To the Graef or Earl of Bruck and Falkenstein. 
" Friend : 

"I wish thy salvation, and the Lord reward thee 
good for the evil that thou sliowedst unto me and my 
friends the last night, if it be His will. But since thou 
art but a mortal man, one that must give an account, 
in common with all, to the immortal God, let me a 
little expostulate with thee. 

" By what law are men not scandalous, under no 
proscription, harmless strangers, about lawful occasions, 



JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 97 

and men, not vagabonds, but of good quality in their 
own country, stopped, menaced, sent back with soldiers, 
and that at sunset, exposed to the night in an unknown 
country, and therefore forced to lie in the fields ?* I 
say, by what law are we judged, yea, thus punished, 
before heard? Is this the law of nations, or nature, or 
Germany, or of Christianity ? Oh ! where is nature ? 
wliere is civility ? where is hospitality ? But where is 
Christianity all this while ? Well, but we are Quakers : 
Quakers ! What is that for a name ? Is tliere a law 
of the empire against that name? No. Did we own 
it? No. But if we had, the letters of that name 
neither make up drunkard, adulterer, thief, murderer, 
nor traitor: why so odious then? what harm hath it 
done? why could Jews pass just before us, that have 
crucified Christ, and not Quakers, that never crucified 
him? But ignorance is as well the mother of perse- 
cution as superstition, and the false Christian and the 
false Jew have but one father. 

'"' But argumentum ad hominem my friend, bear with 
me a little. Art thou a Christian ? How canst thou 
be rude, uncivil, and persecute then? Thou art to 
love enemies, not abuse friends, harmless strangers. 
Well, but this life is dead, this doctrine antiquated, 
Jesus Christ turned out of doors, I perceive. 

"What art thou for a Christian? A Lutheran? 
Yes. Canst thou so soon forget the practices of the 
Papists, and with what abhorrence thy ancestors de- 
clared against such sort of entertainment? Were not 

they despised, mocked, and persecuted? And are 
9 a 



98 JOURNAT. OF WILLIAM PEI^N. 

their children treading in the steps of their oki ene- 
mies? Friend, it is not reformed words, but a re- 
formed life that will stand thee instead. It is not to 
li\'^ the life of the unregenerate, worldly-minded, and 
wicked, under the profession of the saints' words, that 
will give an entrance into God's rest. Be not de- 
ceived ; such as thou sowest, such must thou reap in 
the day of the Lord. Thou art not come to the 
Berean state that tried all things, and therefore not 
noble in the Christian sense. The Bereans were noble, 
for they judged not before examination. 

" And for thy saying, ^We want no Quakers here;' 
— I say, under favor, You do : for a true Quaker is 
one tliat trembleth at the word of the Lord, that 
worketh out his salvation with fear and trembling, 
and all the days of his appointed time waiteth in the 
light and grace of God, till his great change cometh ; 
one that taketh up the daily cross to his will and 
lusts, that he might do the will of God manifested to 
him by the light of Jesus in his conscience, and ac- 
cording to the holy precepts and examples in the Holy 
Scriptures of Truth, laid down by Jesus and his fol- 
lowers for the ages to come. Yea, he is one that loveth 
his enemies rather than feareth them ; that blesseth 
those that curse him, and prayeth for those that de- 
spitefully treat him ; as God knoweth we do for thee. 
Oh, that thou wert such a Quaker ? Then wouldst thou 
rule for God, and act in all things as one that must 
give an account to God for the deeds done in the body, 
whether good or evil. Then would temperance, 



JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENN". 99 

mercy, justice, meekness, and the fear of the Lord 
dwell in thy heart, and in thy family, and country. 

'^Repent, I exhort thee, and consider thy latter end, 
for thy days are not like to be many in this world ; 
therefore mind the things that make for thy eternal 
peace, lest distress come upon thee as an armed man, 
and there be none to deliver thee ! 

" I am thy Avell- wishing friend, 

'^ William Penn. 

"DuYSBUKG, 3d of the Seventli montli, 1677." 

This being done, we went to Dr. Mastricht's to in- 
form him of what had passed, who, though of a kind 
disposition, and very friendly to us, yet seemed sur- 
prised with fear, (the common disease of this country,) 
crying out, ^' What will become of this poor Countess? 
Her father hath called her Quaker a long time, be- 
having himself very severely to her, but now he will 
conclude she is one indeed, and he will lead her a la- 
mentable life. I know,'^ said he, "you care not for 
suffering, but she is to be pitied." We told him that 
we both loved her and pitied her, and could lay down 
our lives for her, as Christ hath done for us, in the 
will of God, if we could thereby do her good ; but 
that we had not mentioned her name, neither was the 
letter, that he gave us to her, so much as seen or known 
of her father. But still he feared that our carriage 
would incense the Graef so much the more against 
both his daughter and all those serious and inquiring 
people up and down his country. We answered, with 



100 JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 

an earnestness of spirit, that they had minded the in- 
censings and wrath of men too much already, and that 
true religion would never spring or grow under such 
fears; and that it was time for all, who felt anything 
of the work of God in their hearts, to cast away tlie 
slavish fear of man, and to come forth in the boldness 
of the true Christian life; yea, that sufferings break 
and make way for greater liberty, and that God was 
Aviser and strona;er tlian man. 

We asked him, if there were any in that city who 
inquired more diligently after the way of the Lord. 
He recommended us (as we had already been informed 
in another place) to the family of the Praetor, or 
chief governor of the town ; whose wife, and sister 
more especially, were seeking after the best things. So 
we parted with him in love, and by the help of his 
daughter, were conducted to this family. 

We had not been long there, before a schoolmaster 
of Dusseldorf, and also a minister, came in, inquiring 
after us, having heard of us at Mulheim, where he 
preached the day before to the people, or else by the 
way of our attempt to visit that place, and the enter- 
tainment we received at the hands of the Graef. He 
sat down with us, and though we had already had a 
sweet opportunity, yet feeling the power of God to 
rise, the meeting renewed. And, oh, magnified be the 
name of the Lord ! He witnessed to our testimony 
abundantly in all their hearts and consciences, who 
were broken into much tenderness; and certainly there 
is a blessed power and zeal stirring in that young 



JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 101 

man ; yea, he is very near the kingdom. So we took 
our leave of them, leaving the Lord's peace and bless- 
ing ii2)on them. 

It was now something past the twelfth hour of the 
day. In the way to our lodging, we met a jnessenger 
from the Countess of Falkenstein, a tender young man, 
near to the kingdom, who saluted us in her name with 
much love ; telling us, that she was much grieved at 
the entertainment of her father towards us, advising 
us not to expose ourselves to such difficulties and hard- 
ships, for it would grieve her heart, that any who came 
in the love of God to visit her, should be so severely 
handled ; for at some he set his dogs, upon others he 
puts his soldiers to beat them : — " But what shall I 
say? — that itself must not hinder you from doing 
good,'' said the Countess. 

We answered him, that his message was joyful to 
us, that she had any regard to us, and that she was not 
offended with us. We desired the remembrance of our 
kind love unto her, and that he vv^ould let her know 
that our concern was not for ourselves, but for her. 
We invited him to eat with us ; but he told us he was 
an inhabitant of Meurs, and was in haste to go home. 
So we briefly declared our principle and message, re- 
commending him to Christ the true Light in his con- 
science, and parted. We went home to dinner, having 
neither eaten nor drank since first-day morning, and 
having lain out all night in the field. 

We had no sooner got to our inn, but the man was 

constrained to come after us, and sat down with us^ 

9* 



102 JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PEXN. 

and inquired concerning our Friends, tlieir rise," prin- 
ciples, and progress, and in all things about which he 
desired satisfaction, he declared himself satisfied. 
Dinner being done, and all cleared, we departed that 
city, being about the fourth hour in the afternoon, and 
for want of accommodation, were forced to walk eight 
English miles to a town called Holten, where we rested 
that night. 

Tlie next morning, being the 4th of the seventh 
month, we set out for Wcsel, and got thither at noon. 
The first thing we did, as had been our custom, was to 
inquire who was ^vorthy ; particularly for two persons, 
recommended to us by the Countess of Plornes, who 
liv^es with the Princess Elizabetli. We found one of 
them was gone to Amsterdam with his wife, who had 
formerly been a preacher, and being conscientiously 
dissatisfied with his own preaching, laid it down, and 
is now in a seeking state. But in lieu of him, w^e 
found out three more, with the person who had been 
recommended to us. AVe bespoke a meeting amongst 
them after dinner, which accordingly w^e had at a 
woman's house of good note in the town ; wdio told 
us, that she had been long in a solitary estate, dissat- 
isfied w^itli the religions generally professed in that 
country, waiting for salvation, and she hoped that now 
the time was come, and that we were the messengers 
of it. 

The Lord was wnth us in the meeting, and their 
hearts were opened by the Word of God, to receive our 
testimony as glad tidings of salvation. Meeting being 



JOUENAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 103 

done, we immediately returned to our lodging, desiring 
we might see them together in the same place the next 
morning, to- take our leave of them ; to which they 
readily assented. 

Next morning we came, and had a precious meeling 
with them, and there were some present who were not 
there the night before. So we left them in much love, 
and after having refreshed ourselves at our inn, we 
went to Rees, where we met with a counsellor of 
Gelderland, with whom we had a good opportunity to 
declare the testimony of Jesus, who received it, and 
parted with us in much kindness. 

From thence we went to Emrick, and there called 
upon an eminent Baptist teacher, recommended to us 
by one of Wesel. We spent some time with him, 
opening to him the way of life, as .in the light it is 
manife.sted to all that love and obey the light; and of 
tliat more spiritual and pure ministry, which from the 
living Word of God is received by many true ministers 
in this day. The man was somewhat full of words ; 
but we felt the living visitation of the love of God 
reached to him, and so we left him, making all the 
liaste we could to get to Cleve that night ; which ac- 
cordingly we did, though late, being forced to walk 
one-third part of the way. 

That night, notwithstanding, one of us went to a 
certain lady, to whom we had recommendations from 
the Princess, and who was particularly known to one 
of us; informing her we were come to that city, de- 
siring to know what time next day we might give her 
a visit^ she appointed eight o'clock in the morning. 



104 JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 

About that time we went to see her; she received ns 
au:reeably, considering her quality and courtship, far 
from showing any appearance of offence at our deport- 
ment. We told her, our message and visit was to 
those of that city who had any inclinations or desires^ 
huncrcr or thirst, after the true and livini; knowledoe 
of God : for that end, we had left our own country, 
and had travelled up and down in several parts of 
Germany. She told us, that some there were who 
searched after God ; but she feared the name of 
Quaker would make them shy, because they were 
called Quakers themselves, by people of the same pro- 
fession, only for being more serious and retired in 
their conversation. We replied, that it was an honor 
to the name, that all sobriety throughout Germany was 
called by it; this ought to make the name less odious, 
yea, it will make the way easier for those that are 
truly called so, or that are Quakers indeed. It will 
take off much of the w^onder, and, it may be, of the 
severity of the places where we come, that the name is 
gone before us, and hath received a dwelling-place in 
their towns and cities. In fine, to all such, God had 
committed to us the word of life to preach, and such 
we seek out in all places whither the Lord brings us : 
and hitherto we can say it, to the praise of our God, 
He hath vindicated our service and testimony by his 
own blessed power, shed abroad in their hearts to whom 
we have been sent. 

She told us she would send for an attorney-at-law, 
one who was more than ordinarily eminent; having 



JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 105 

deserted the church, and being therefore reproached 
with the name of Quaker. 

In this interval we had close discourse with lier ; — 
a woman certainly of great wit, high notions, and very 
ready utterance ; so that it was hard for us to obtain 
a true silence, a state in Avhich we could reach to her. 
But, through some travail of spirit more than ordi- 
nary, we had a sweet time of refreshment, and the 
witness was raised in her; and we really and plainly 
beheld a true nobility, yea, that which was sensible of 
our testimony, and did receive it. 

By this time the person she sent for came, and a 
blessed sweet time we had; for the power and presence 
of the Lord, our staff and strength, unto whom our 
eye hath been throughout all our travels, that we 
might only be acceptable in Him, plenteously ap- 
peared amongst us ; both of these individuals confess- 
ing to the truth of what had been said, and the attorney 
especially, to the living sense in which the Truth had 
been declared. The Lord have the glory of his own 
work ! 

We would have returned to our inn to eat, accord- 
ing as we had appointed in the morning, but she laid 
a kind of violent hands upon us, and necessitated us 
to stay and eat with her ; which we did. We had no 
sooner sat down, but her brother-in-law, a man of 
quality and employment in the court of the Elector 
of Brandenburg, came in and dined with us. As we 
sat at meat, we had a good meeting ; for the time was 
much taken up about the things of God, either in 



106 JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 

answering their questions, or ministering to them 
about the true Christian nature and life; in all which 
her brother behaved himself with great sweetness and 
respect. After dinner, we took our Christian leave 
of them in the fear of God, recommending unto them 
the light of Christ Jesus, that brings all that receive 
it into the one spirit, to live in holy peace and concord 
together ; ])articularly and alone speaking to the lady 
and the attorney what was upon us as to their states. 



CHAPTER VI. 

Return to AniPterdani— Letter from Princess Elizabeth— Goes into 
Friesland— Meets G. Fox— Monthly Meeting settloil at liarlingen 
—Interesting Meeting— Letter to J. Eleonora Malane— Wiewart 
— Interview with Anna Maria Schurmans and other followers of 
J. de Labadie — Groningen. 

WE departed ; and soon after took wagon for Nim- 
eo:uen, where, arriving about the seventh hour 
that night, we immediately took Avagon for Utrecht, 
and irot thither about the tenth hour next morning. 
We hear there is a people in that city ; but had not 
now time to visit them, referring it to another oppor- 
tunity. 

About the first hour in the afternoon, George Keith 
aiid Benjamin Furly took wagon for Rotterdam, and 
I took wagon for Amsterdam, where I came safely 



JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 107 

that night, about six o'clock in the evening ; and I 
found Friends generally well, though it is a sickly 
time in this country. The meeting-house is much 
enlarged, and there is a fresh inquiry among many 
people after the Truth, and great desires to hear the 
testimony and declaration of it. I also understand 
that dear George Fox is returned from Fredericstadt 
and Hamburg into Friesland, whither T. R. and I. Y. 
are gone from this city to meet with him. He has had 
a hard time of travel with respect to the weather, yet 
I hear is in good health, through the Lord's power 
that hath kept him. 

Here I received a letter from the Princess Elizabeth, 
in answer to mine of the 25th of the sixth month, 
from Manheim, alias Fredericsburg. 

"The 4tli (14th) of September, 1677. 
" Dear Friend : 

" I have received your greetings, good wishes, and 
exhortations with much joy, and shall follow the latter 
as far as it will please our great God to give me light 
and strength. I can say little for myself, and can do 
nothing of myself, but I hope the Lord will conduct 
me in his time, by his way, to his end ; and shall not 
shrink from his fire; I do long for it; and wdien He 
assures my ways, I hope He will give me power to 
bear the cross I meet therein. I am also glad to hear 
the journey hath been prosperous, both in the consti- 
tutions of your bodies, to withstand the badness of the 
weather, and in the reception you had in Cassel, Frank- 



108 JOURNAL OF WILLIAM. PENN". 

fort, and Krislieim. Nothing surprised me there but 
the g'ood okl Diuy, in wliom I did. not expect so ranch 
ingenuity, liaving lately written a book, entitled ' I^e 
veritable Chretien/ which speaks in anotlier way. I 
wish to know what reception you have had at Fred- 
ericsburg, and if this find you at Cleve, I wish you 
might take an occasion to see the two pastors of jNIuI- 
heim, who do really sfeek the Lord, but have some 
prejudice against your doctrine, as also tlie Countess 
tliere. It would l)e of much Hse for my family to have 
them disabused ; yet God's will be done in that, and 
all tilings else, concerning 

"Your loving friend in the Lord Jesus, 

" Elizabeth.'^ 

" P. S. Let both your friends and companions re- 
ceive my hearty commendations here/^ 

This day, being the 8th, at night came John Hill 
from Fiiesland, to the house of Gertrude Diricks in 
Amsterdam.- 

The nezt day, being the first-day of the week, we 
had a blessed and laro-e meetino;, lar^-er than ordinary, 
because a great addition of room [had been made] 
since our journey into Germany. Indeed, there was a 
great ai)pearance of sober, professing people, yea, 
several of the chief of the Baptists, as Galenus and 
companions. The Lord's heavenly power was over 
all, and the meeting ended blessedly about the fourth 
hour. 



JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 109 

That iiiglit, after sapper, having taken my leave in 
a sweet little meeting among Friends, I took boat for 
Horn, P. Hendricks accompanying me, about the 
seventh hour at night, and got thither about two 
o'clock in the morning : here, lying down till about 
six o'clock, we took wagon for Enckhuysen. We 
came thither a little after eight o'clock in the morning; 
and having refreshed ourselves, about the ninth hour 
we took ship for Worcum in Friesland, arriving about 
one o'clock ; and thence immediately took wagon for 
Harlingen, where we came about sixVclock; there Ave 
met with dear George Fox, J. T., I. Y., T. R., John 
Clans and his wife. 

The next day we had tw^o blessed meetings; one 
amongst Friends, being the first Monthly Meeting that 
was settled for Friesland, Groningen, and Embden; 
the other a public meeting, where resorted both Bap- 
tists, Collegians, and others, and among the rest, a 
doctor of physic and a Presbyterian minister. All sat 
with great attention and sobriety, but the minister and 
doctor more especially. The first having a lecture- 
sermon to preach that evening, went away ; but not- 
withstanding, speedily returned, George Fox still speak- 
ing: but, as a man in pain to be gone, yet willing to 
stay, sat at the door till G. F. had done; and then 
stood up, and pulling off his hat, looking up to 
heaven in a solemn manner, and with a loud voice, 
spake to this purpose; ^' The Almighty, the all-wise, 
the omnipotent great God, and his Son Jesus Christ, 
who is blessed forever and ever, confirm his word that 

10 



110 JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 

hath been spoken this day:" apologizing, that he could 
not longer stay, for that he was a minister of the Ke- 
formed religion, and was just now going to preach, 
where all that would come should be welcome; and so 
left the meeting. 

The physician also was called away, but returned 
and stayed till the meeting ended. Just as the meeting 
ended, came the minister again, who said, in the hear- 
ing of some Friends, that he had made his sermon 
much shorter than ordinary, that he might enjoy the 
rest of the meeting. At night came the physician to 
see me, who, after a serious and Christian discourse, 
expressing great satisfaction in most things relating to 
Fi'iends, left me: withal telling me, that if I had not 
been going the fourth hour next morning, he would 
either have stayed longer with me, or come again. 

He also remembered the parson's love to us ; and 
told me, that if it had not been for fear of giving of- 
fence, or coming too much under the observation of the 
people, he would have come to see us : adding, that it 
was great pity this people had not printed their prin- 
ciples to the world: to wdiich the doctor answered, that 
he had some of our books, and he would lend him 
them. Blessed be the Lord, his glorious work goeth 
on, and his power is over all ! It being now the tenth 
hour at night, I took my leave of George Fox and 
Friends. 

This day it came upon me to write a letter to the 
noble young woman at Frankfort, as follows: 



JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENN. Ill 

" Dear Friend, 

" Joanna Eleonora Malane. 

"My dear and tender love, which God hath raised 
in my heart by his living Word to all mankind, (but 
more especially unto those in whom He hath begotten 
a holy hunger and thirst after him,) saluteth thee. 
And amongst those of that place where thou livest, the 
remembrance of thee, with thy companions, is most 
particularly and eminently at this time brought before 
me. And the sense of your open-heartedness, simplic- 
ity, and sincere love to the testimony of Jesus, deliv- 
ered by us unto you, hath deeply engaged my heart 
towards you, and often raised in my soul heavenly 
breathings to the God of my life, that He would keep 
you in the daily sense of that Divine life which then 
affected you. For this know, it was the life in your- 
selves, that so sweetly visited you by the ministry of 
life through us. 

" Wherefore, love the Divine life and light in your- 
selves : be retired and still ; let that holy seed move in 
all heavenly things before you move. For no one re- 
ceiveth anything that truly profiteth, but what he re- 
ceiveth from above. Thus said John to his disciples. 
Now, that that stirreth in your hearts, draweth you out 
of the world, slayeth you to all the vain glory, and pleas- 
ure, and empty worships that are in it, this is from 
above, the heavenly seed of God, pure and incorruptible, 
which is come down from heaven to make you heavenly; 
that in heavenly places you may dwell, and witness, 



112 JOUKNAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 

with the saints of old, this heavenly treasure in earthen 
vessels. 

" Oh, stay your minds upon the appearance of Jesus in 
you, in whose light you shall see light. It will make 
you of a weighty, considering spirit, more and more ; 
that you may see how the mystery of iniquity hath 
wrought, and how mankind is corrupted in all things, 
and what part you yet have which belongeth not to 
the paradise of God ; that you may lay it all down at 
the feet of Jesus, and follow him, who is going up and 
down, doing good to all that believe in his name. So, 
possess your souls in the sensible feeling of his daily 
Divine visits, shinings, and breathings upon your spirits; 
and wait diligently, and watch circumspectly, lest the 
enemy surprise you, or your Lord come at unawares 
upon you, and you be unprepared to receive his sweet 
and precious visitations ; that so those holy beginnings, 
which thou art a witness of with thy companions, may 
not be lost, or as if they had never been ; but that you 
may, from day to day, feel the growth of his light, life, 
power, and kingdom in your souls, that you may be 
able to say, ^ The kingdom of God is come, yea, it is 
given to the saints.' 

" And what I say unto one, I say unto all that re- 
ceived our testimony in that city, to whom thou mayst 
give, if thou pleasest, the remembrance of my dear love; 
who travail in the Spirit for their redemption, that they 
may be brought into the glorious liberty of the sons of 
God. Particularly salute me the young woman that 
met with us at thy lodging. The Lord Jesus Christ, 



JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 113 

the Prince of peace, dwell amongst you, keep your 
hearts steadfast in his holy light, without wavering, 
all the days of your appointed time, until your great 
and last change shall come ; when He will receive his 
own sheep into his own everlasting kingdom, from the 
power of the foxes and the wolves, and all the devour- 
ing beasts and birds of prey ; when He will wipe away 
all tears from their eyes, and sighing and sorrowing 
shall be no more ; and when it shall be said, there is no 
more death, no more night, no more time. 

"The Lord hath brought us well to Amsterdam, 
not without good service by the way ; for at Cologne 
we had a precious meeting, and were received with 
much gladness of heart. We also went to Duysburg, 
and from thence towards Mulheim, (being the iirst-day 
of the week,) hoping to get an opportunity with the 
Countess of Brack, and to deliver thy letter : but her 
father, who is a cruel and severe man, meeting us near 
his castle, stopped us ; and after some little time, finding 
what we were, said, they wanted no Quakers there, and 
sent us with some of his soldiers out of his territory. 
It was about sunset, so that we were forced to return 
towards Duysburg : but the gates of the city being 
shut, and there being no houses without it, we were 
forced to lie in the fields all night, where the Lord 
made us a good and comfortable bed. We told the 
Graef, at parting, we were men that feared the Almighty 
God, we desired the good of all men, and tliat we came 
not thitlier for any evil design ; but he would not hear; 

the Lord, if He pleaseth, forgive him. Nevertheless, 
10* H 



114 JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PEis^N. 

we had a good meeting at Duysburg, where we had 
our heart's desires ; the blessed power and life of God 
makins: its own wav in the hearts of those that heard 
our testimony. I also wrote a l^rge and tender letter 
to the Countess, and received a sweet and loving mes- 
sage from her ; and I have great hopes that all things 
will work for the best. 

'^ From Duysburg w-e went to Wesel, where we in- 
quired who w^as worthy, and found four or five separated 
from all conirreoations, waitins; for the consolation of 
Israel, w^ith w'hom we had two precious meetings. 
Leaving the peace of Jesus with them, we went to 
Emrick, where we visited the chief Baptist teacher, 
who confessed to our testimony, and received us lov- 
ingly. We directed him to the gift of God in himself, 
that pure and eternal word in the heart, that he might 
know the pure ministry of that, from the ministry of 
man's spirit, which cannot profit or give life to the soul. 

" From thence we went to Cleve, where, at a lady's 
house belonging to the court, we had a precious meet- 
ing: and we found some who had deserted the public 
ministry, as not being anointed of God to preach, 
neither knowing by a true experience the way and 
travail of the new birth, but are made and maintained 
by men. We sounded thejoyful Gospel amongst them, 
and from tlience, by the way of Nimeguen and Utrecht, 
we came the last sixth-day to Amsterdam, which was 
the 7th of the seventh month. 

'^ This last first-day I had a great and blessed meet- 
ing at Amsterdam, almost of every quality and religion; 



JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 115 

the LorcVs heavenly power, which is quickening people 
into a living sense of Him, that they may say, ^The 
Lord liveth, and He liveth in me,^ reigned that day 
over all. 

'Mn the evening I took boat for Horn, and from 
thence came last night to this city of Harlingen, where 
we met with some of our brethren, who had been at 
Hamburg and Fredericstadt ; and this day w^e are to 
have two meetings here, the one among our Friends, 
the other public for the town. It is upon me to visit 
J. de Labadie's people, that they may know Him in 
themselves, in whom their salvation standeth ; for these 
simple people are to be pitied. From thence, I think 
to visit Leuwarden, Groningen, Embden, Bremen, Her- 
werden, Wesel, Emrick, Cleve, Utrecht, and so to return 
to Amsterdam ; the Lord enabling me by his power. 

" This ariseth in my heart to thee. Give not thy 
bread to dogs ; spend not thy portion ; feed not the 
serpent, neither hearken to him ; abide with Jesus, and 
He will abide with thee, that thou mayst grow in wis- 
dom and in righteousness, through the cross that crucifi- 
eth thee to the world, and the world to thee. So, in 
the love which overcometh the world, that is Divine 
and from above, and leadeth all thither who receive it 
into their hearts, I take my leave of thee, with thy 
companions, and all the rest of that city known to us, 
remaining 

^^ Thy faithful friend, and the Lord's day -laborer, 

" William Penn. 

'' Harungeis-, 11th of the Seventh month, 1677." 



116 JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 

Next morning, the 12tli of the seventh montli, about 
the fourth hour, I took boat for Leuwarden ; John 
Claus, who liad been at Fredericstadt with George Fox, 
went with me. G. F., H. T., and T. R., witirP. H., 
returned that day towards Amsterdam. 

At Leuwarden we came about nine, and be^ran the 
meeting about ten o'clock ; wliich we enjoyed with 
peace and refreshment, several being there as in other 
places, who were never at a meeting before. 

The meeting being done, and having refreshed our- 
selves with food, we took wagon for Wiewart, the 
mansion-house of the family of the Somerdykes, where 
J. de Labadie's company reside; it being strong upon 
my spirit to give them a visit. We got thither about five 
o'clock ; and as we were walking over a field to the 
liouse, we met a young man of that company wdio con- 
ducted us in. I asked for Ivon the pastor, and Anna 
jNIaria Schurmans. Ivon presently came, with his co- 
pastor : they received us very civilly; however, they 
seemed shy of letting me speak with Anna jNIaria 
Schurmans, objecting her weakness, age, taking physic, 
etc. ; but, putting them in mind how unhandsomely 
I was used at Herwerden six years ago by J. de Laba- 
die, their father, who, though I came a great journey to 
visit him and his people, sntfered me not to speak with 
them, they presently complied, and went in to let her 
know that such a person desired to speak with her, and 
quickly returned, desiring me to come in. But fore- 
seeing my time would be too short for my message, 
the sun being near setting, and having to go on foot 



JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 117 

two English miles of unknown way to our lodging, I 
desired that they would give me an opportunity the 
next morning, which they readily complied with. So 
I took my leave of them, who in a friendly manner 
brought us a little on our way. That night a great 
weight was upon my spirit, and especially the next 
morning; yet my faith was in the power of God, and 
I had a plain sight, that I should have a good service 
among them, — however, I should clear my conscience, 
and my peace should rest with me. 

The next morning I returned to them, and John 
Claus along with me. So soon as we came, we were 
brought into Anna Maria Schurmans' chamber; where 
also was with her one of the three Somerdykes. 

This Anna Maria Schurmans aforesaid is an ancient 
maiden, above sixty years of age, of great note and 
fame for learning in languages and philosophy, and 
hath obtained a considerable place among the most 
learned men of this age. The Somerdykes are daugh- 
ters to a nobleman of the Hague ; people of great breed- 
ing and inheritances. These, with several other persons, 
being affected with the zealous declamation of J. de 
Labadie against the dead and formal churches of the 
world, and awakened to seek after a more spiritual fel- 
lowship and society, separated themselves from the 
common Calvinistic churches, and followed him in the 
way of a refined independency. 

They are a serious, plain people, and are come nearer 
to Friends as to silence in meetings, women speaking, 
preaching by the Spirit, plainness in garb and fur- 



118 JOUENAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 

niture In tlieir houses. With these two, we had the 
company of the two pastors and a doctor of physic. 
After some silence, I proposed this question to them : 
What was It that Induced them to separate from the 
common way they formerly lived in ? I desired them 
that they would be pleased to be plain and open with 
me, as to the ground of their separation ; for I came 
not to cavil, but in a Christian spirit to be informed. 

Upon this Ivon, the chief pastor, gave us the history 
of J. de Labadie's education ; how he was bred among 
the Jesuits, and deserted them, and embraced the Pro- 
testant religion ; and finally, of his great dissatisfac- 
tion with the Protestant churches of France; and that 
if God would not give them a purer church, they three 
would sit down by themselves, resolving never more 
to mix themselves among the Babylonish assemblies 
of the world : adding several solemn appeals, concern- 
ing the simplicity and Integrity of their hearts in these 
things. 

Ivon having done, Anna Maria Schurmacs began 
in this manner : " I find myself constrained to add a 
short testimony." She told us her former life, of her 
pleasure in learning, and her love to the religion she 
was brought up in ; but confessed she knew not God 
or Christ truly all that while. And though from a 
child God had visited her at times, yet she never felt 
such a powerful stroke as by the ministry of J. de La- 
badie. She saw her learning to be vanity, and her 
religion like a body of death ; she resolved to despise 
the shame, desert her former way of living and ac- 



J0URI!^AL OF WILLIAM PENN. 119 

quaintance, and to join herself Avith this little family, 
that was retired out of the world ; among whom she 
desired to be found a living sacrifice, offered up en- 
tirely to the Lord. She spoke in a very serious and 
broken sense, not without some trembling. These are 
but short hints of what she said. 

After she had done, one of the Somerdykes began, 
in a very reverent and weighty frame of mind, and in 
a sense that very well suited her contempt of the world. 
She told us how often she had mourned from her young 
years, because she did not know the Lord as she de- 
sired ; often saying within herself, " If God would 
make known to me his ways, I would trample upon 
all the pride and glory of the world." She earnestly 
expressed the frequent anguish of spirit she had, 
because of the deadness and formality of the Christians 
she was bred among; saying to herself, '^Oh, the pride, 
the lusts, the vain pleasures in which Christians live! 
Can this be the way to heaven ? Is this the way to 
glory ? Ar^ these followers of Christ ? Oh, no ! O 
God ! where is thy little flock ? Where is thy little 
family, that will live entirely to thee — that will 
follow thee ? Make me one of that number. And,'' 
continued she, " when the servant of the Lord, J. de 
Labadie, came into Holland, I, among others, had a 
curiosity to hear him ; and with several, was deeply 
aifected by him. He spoke the very thoughts of my 
heart : methought my heart was pricked when I heard 
him ; and I resolved, by the grace of God, to abandon 
all the glory and pride of this world, to be one of 



120 JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 

tliose who should sit down with him in a separation 
from the vain and dead worships of this world. I 
count myself happy that I ever met with him, and 
these pastors, who seek not themselves, but the Lord. 
And we are a family that live together in love, of one 
soul and one spirit, entirely given up to serve the 
Lord; and this is the greatest joy in the world." 

After lier, du Lignon, the other pastor, gave us also 
an account of his inducement to embrace J. de Laba- 
die, but not so liv^ely. 

After him the doctor of physic, who had been bred 
for a priest, but voluntarily refused that calling, ex- 
pressed himself after this manner: "I can also bear 
my testimony in the presence of Goil, that though I 
lived in as much reputation at the university as any of 
my colleagues or companions, and was well reputed for 
sobriety and honesty, yet I never felt such a living 
sense of God as when I heard the servant of the 
Lord, J. de Labadie:'' adding, "The first day I heard 
him, I was so struck and affected, that I can truly say, 
through the good grace of God and the conduct of the 
Holy Spirit, it was to me as the day of my salvation, 
he did so livingly touch my heart with a sense of the 
true Christian Avorship : upon which I forsook the 
university, and resolved to be one of this family; and 
this I can say in the fear of the Lord.'^ 

P. Ivon concluded, '^ This is what we have to say 
concerning tiie work of God amongst us." 

All this while I minded not so much their words, as 
I felt and had unity with a measure of divine sense 



JOUENAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 121 

that was upon them. Certainly the Lord hath been 
amongst them ; yea, I had a living sense in my heart, 
tliat somewhat of the breath of life had breathed upon 
them ; and though they were in great mixtures, yet 
God's love was towards them. 

After some silence, I began on this wise: "I come 
not to judge you, but to visit you ; not to quarrel or 
dispute, but to speak of the things of God's kingdom ; 
and I have no prejudice, but great love and regard in 
my heart towards you : wherefore hear me with Chris- 
tian patience and tenderness. 

"I do confess and believe that God hath touched 
your hearts with his divine finger, and that his work 
is amongst you ; that it was his Spirit that gave you 
a sight of the vanity and folly of this world, and that 
hath made you sensible of the dead religions that are 
in it. It is this sense I love and honor ; and I am so 
far from undervaluing or opposing this tender sense I 
feel upon you, that this it is I am come to visit, and 
you for the love of it. And as for the reproaches that 
may attend you on the score of your separation, with 
all the reports that therefore go concerning you, they 
are what I respect you for, being well acquainted with 
the nature and practice of this world towards those 
that retire out of it. 

^' Now, since I have with patience, and I can truly 
say with great satisfaction, heard your account of your 
experiences, give me the like Christian freedom to tell 
you mine, to the end you may have some sense of the 
w^ork of God in me ; for those who are come to any 
11 



122 JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENT^. 

measure of a Divine sense, they are as looking-glasses 
to each other, seeing themselves In each other, as face 
answereth face in a glass." 

Here I began to let them know how and when the 
Lord first appeared unto me, which was about the 
twelfth year of my age, anno 1656. How at times, 
between that and the fifteenth, the Lord visited me, 
and the Divine Impressions he gave me of himself: of 
my persecution at Oxford, and how the Lord sustained 
me in the midst of that hellish darkness and de- 
bauchery : of my being banished the college, the bitter 
usage I undei'went when I returned to my father ; 
whipping, beating, and turning out of doors In 1662: 
of the Lord's dealings with me in France, and in the 
time of the great plague In London. In fine, the deep 
sense He gave me of the vanity of this world, of the 
irreligiousness of tlie religions of It. Then of my 
mournful and bitter cries to him, that He would show 
me his own way of life and salvation, and my resolu- 
tions to follow him, whatever reproaches or sufferings 
should attend me ; and that, with great reverence and 
brokenness of spirit. How, after all tliis, the glory of 
the world overtook me, and I was even ready to give 
up myself unto it, seeing as yet no such thing as the 
primitive spirit and church on the earth, and being 
ready to faint concerning my hope of the restitution 
of all things. It was at this time that the Lord 
visited me with a certain sound and testimony of his 
eternal word, through one of those the world calls a 
Quaker, namely, Thomas Loe. I related to them the 



JOUKNAL OF WIT.LIAM PENN. 123 

bitter mockings and scorniiigs that fell upon me, the 
displeasure of ray parents, the invectiveness and cruelty 
of the priests, the strangeness of all my companions : 
what a sign and wonder they made of me ; bat above 
all, that great cross of resisting and watching against 
my own inward vain affections and thoughts. 

Here I had a fine opportunity to speak of the 
mystery of iniquity and ungodliness in the root and 
ground, and to give them an account of the power and 
presence of God which attended us in our public testi- 
monies and sufferings — after an indirect manner cen- 
suring their weaknesses, by declaring and commend- 
ing the contrary practices among Friends, too large to 
be here related. And notwithstanding all my suffer- 
ings and trials by magistrates, parents, companions; 
and above all, from the priests of the false religions in 
the world, the Lord hath preserved me to this day, and 
hath given me an hundred-fold in this world, as well 
as the assurance of life everlasting ; informing them 
of the tenderness of my father to me before and at his 
death ; and how, through patience and long-suffering, 
all opposition was conquered. Then I began my ex- 
hortation unto tliem, whicli was on this wise. 

That since God had given me and them a Divine 
sense of him, our eye should be to him, and not to 
man ; that we might come more into a silence of our- 
selves, and a growth into that heavenly sense. That 
this was the work of the true ministry, not to keep 
people to themselves, ever teaching them, but to turn 
them to God, the new covenant Teacher, and to Christy 



124 JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 

the great Gospel Minister. Tluis John did, and 
thought it no dishonor, that they left him to go to 
Christ. '' Behold the Lamb of God," said he, '' that 
taketh away the sins of the world ! '^ And even 
John's disciples left him to follow Christ. Nay, John 
testifies of himself, that he was to decrease, and Christ 
was to increase. Wherefore, I pressed them to have 
their eye to Christ who taketh away the sin ; who is 
from heaven, heavenly ; to see that He increase in 
them. Yea, that henceforward they should know no 
man after the flesh. That their knowledge of, and re- 
gard for, and fellowship one with another, should stand 
in the revelation of the Son of God in them ; who is 
God's great pr()j)het, by whom God speaketh in these 
latter days. And if their ministers be true ministers, 
they will count it their glory to give way to Christ, 
and that they decrease, and Christ increase ; that the 
instrument giveth way to him that useth it, the servant 
to the Lord. Which, though it seemeth to detract 
from the ministers, yet it was and is the glory of a true 
minister, that God and Christ should be all in all, and 
that his will should be fulfilled. I told them the day 
of the Lord God was come, and all people must look 
to Him for salvation : that all people must now come 
to keep God's great sabbath, to rest from mere man, 
and the spirit of man, and all men's thoughts, words, 
and works; and that if they were true believers, they 
were at least entering into their rest. 

I closely recommended it to them, that they might 
not be of those who begin in the Spirit, and end in the 



JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PEjSTN. 125 

flesh ; for tliat those who should do so, and thereby 
break God^s sabbath-day, would be stoued to death, 
by the stone which is cut out of the mountain without 
hands ; yea, that should fall upon them as a millstone, 
and grind them to powder. Therefore let Christ have 
his honor ; let him preach and speak among you and 
in you, and you in him and by him only, to sigh, 
groan, pray, preach, sing, and not otherwise, lest death 
come over you : for thereby the apostasy came in, by 
their going before Christ, instead of Christ going 
before them. 

Wait in the light and spirit of judgment that hath 
visited you, that all may be wrought out that is not 
born of God ; so will you come to be born of the incor- 
ruptible seed and Word of God, that liveth and abideth 
forever : that you may be a holy priesthood, that oifers 
up a living sacrifice with God's heavenly fire, that God 
may have his honor in you all, and through you all by 
Jesus Christ. And turning myself towards the Somer- 
dykes, with a serious and tender spirit, I thus expressed 
myself: "That you should be pilgrims in the inherit- 
ance of your Father, I have a deep and reverent sense 
of: Oh that vou mig^ht dwell with Him forever, and 
exalt Him that hath so visited you, with whom are 
the rewards of eternal blessedness ! '' 

I left the blessing and peace of Jesus among them, 

departing in the love and peace of God ; and I must 

needs say they were, beyond expectation, tender and 

respectful to us; all of them coming wdth us to the 

outer door but the ancient Anna Maria Schurmans, 
11* 



126 JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 

who is not able to walk ; giving us their hands in a 
friendly manner, exj)ressing their great satisfaction in 
our visit. And being come to the porch, and meeting 
several persons of the family, I was moved to turn 
about and exhort them, in the presence of the rest, To 
keep to Christ, who had given them a sense of the 
spirit of this world, and had raised desires in them to 
be delivered from it ; and to know no man after the 
flesh, but to have their fellowship in Christ, union and 
communion with God, and one with another; that all 
their worship and performances might stand in Him, 
that He might be all in all. Desiring that the Lord 
might keep them in his fear all the days of their ap- 
pointed time, that so they might serve Him in their 
generation, in his own universal Spirit, to his glory, 
who is blessed forever! 

The Lord comforted my soul in this service ; yea, all 
that is within me magnified his holy name, because of 
his blessed presence that was with us ! Oh, let my soul 
trust in the Lord, and confide in him forever ! Let 
me dwell and abide with Him that is faithful and true, 
and blessed for evermore ! 

The two pastors and the doctor came with us a field's 
leno^th, where we took wao:on ; and the chiefest of them 
took occasion to ask me. If the Truth rose not first 
amongst a poor, illiterate, and simple sort of people? 
I told him. Yes, that was our comfort, and that we 
owed it not to the learning of this world: ^^ Then,'' 
said he, " let not the learning of this world be used to 
defend that which the Spirit of God hath brought forth ; 



JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 127 

for scholars now coming among you will be apt to mix 
school learning amongst your simpler and purer lan- 
guage, and thereby obscure the brightness of the testi- 
mony.'' I told him it was good for us all to have a care 
of our own spirits, words, and works, confessing what he 
said had weight in it; telling hira, it was our care to 
write and speak according to the Divine sense, and not 
human invention. So in a very sober and serious man- 
ner we parted, being about the twelfth hour at noon. 

This night about ten o'clock we got to Lippen- 
hausen, where there is a little meeting of Friends, be- 
ing about twenty-five English miles. 

The next morning, the 14th, we had a blessed meet- 
ing among Friends ; many of the world came in, were 
very serious and well affected ; one whereof was a 
magistrate of the place. The Lord pleads his ov/n 
cause, and crowus his own testimony with his own 
power. There is likely to be a fine gathering in that 
place. After dinner we took wagon for the city of 
Groningen, where we arrived at eight o'clock at night, 
being about twenty-five English miles. 

The next morning we had a meeting among Friends 
of that city, whither resorted both collegians and Cal- 
vinist students, who behaved themselves soberly : the 
Lord's power was over all, and his testimony stands. 
When meeting was ended they went out ; and as I was 
concluding an exhortation to Friends, there came in a 
flock of students to have had some conference with us : 
but having set the time of our leaving the city, we 
recommended them to the universal love of God, 



128 JOUEXAL OF WILLIAM PENI^. 

promising them some books of our principles; with 
which they expressed themselves satisfied, and civilly 
parted from us. After dinner we took boat for Delf- 
zyl, and came there about six o'clock at night. 



CHAPTER YII. 

Letter concerning Separatists — Enibdcn — Interview with Dr, 
Andrews — Bremen — Interesting Interviews with several Per- 
sons — Keturn to Herwerden — Keligious Engagements in the 
Family of the Princess. 

THE next morning about seven o'clock, being the 
16th of the seventh month, we took boat for Emb- 
den, wliich is about three leagues. On board of that 
vessel, it came upon me to write a letter to Friends in 
England concerning the Separatists,* and their spirit 
of separation, wliich hath several times been opened 
unto me, and had remained some days upon my spirit. 
The letter follows. 

" To Friends eveiywhere, concerning the present Sepa- 
ratists, and their spirit of separation. 

'' Friends and brethren : 

" By a mighty hand and by an outstretched ariu, 
hatli the fjord God cverlastino^ ijathered us to be a 

* Tliis alhides to Wilkinson, Story, Rogers, and their followers, 
who had raised a schism in the Society on the suhject of church 
discipline. 



JOUllNAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 129 

people, and in liis own power and life hath He pre- 
served us a people unto this day : and praises be to his 
eternal name ! no weapon that hath yet been formed 
against us, either from without or from within, hath 
prospered. 

" Now this I say unto you, and that in His counsel 
who hath^'isited us ; — whoever goeth out of the unity 
with their brethren, are first gone out of unity wHth 
the power and life of God in themselves, in which the 
unity of the brethren standeth ; and the least member 
of the body in the unity, standeth on the top of them, 
and hath a judgment against them. Unto which judg- 
ment, of both great and small amongst the living 
family that in unity are preserved, they must bow 
before they can come into the unity again. Yea, this 
they will readily do, if they are come into unity with 
the life and power of God in themselves; which is the 
holy root, that beareth the tree, the fruit, and the 
leaves; all receiving life and virtue from it^ and thereby 
are nourished unto God's praise. 

" And let all have a care how they weaken that, or 
bring that under the exaltation and high imagination 
of those against whom it is revealed. For I feel this 
unruly spirit is tormented under the stroke and judg- 
ment of the power, and in its subtlety is seeking occa- 
sion against the instruments by whom the power gave 
it forth. Let all have a care how they touch with this 
spirit in those workings ; for by being one with this 
spirit in judging those who have been faithful, accord- 
ing to the gift of wisdom tliey have received from God, 

I 



130 JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 

they will feed it and fortify it, and in the end come to 
be one with it against the power itself; and at last run 
out and become open enemies and despisers, for whom 
is reserved the blackness of darkness forever, unless 
they repent. 

" ^Vherefore, all that labor for the restoration of 
those who are out of.unity with the brethrei*, let them 
be such as are of a sound mind themselves : else what 
will they gather to? or, what will they gather from? 
And let them labor in the simplicity, integrity, love, 
and zeal of the power that first gathered us to God. 
.For that which is rightly gotten will endure, but that 
wdnch is obtained by the contrivance, interest, and per- 
suasions of men, getteth no further than man, and is 
of the flesh ; and what is of flesh is fleshly, and shall 
never inherit the kingdom of God. 

"Therefore let none look out of the Seed for help; 
for all power is in it, and there the true light and judg- 
ment stand forever; and that Seed only hath God 
ordained to bruise the serpent's head. They that 
would save it, and those that would bruise it by any 
other thing, are breakers of God's great ordinance, and 
fly to Egypt for strength. For it is David the strip- 
ling, that shall be too hard for Goliah the giant; and 
that not by Saul's armor, but with God's living little 
stone, cut out of the mountain without hands, without 
man's invention and contrivance. This hath wrought 
all our mighty works in us, and for us to this day ! 
Wherefore let us be still, and trust and confide therein 
forever. Let none look back, faint, or consult ; for if 



JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENX. 131 

they do, they will darken their pure eye, and lose their 
way, and into the eternal rest of the flockvS of the com- 
panions will never come. 

^^ Brethren, the judgment given forth against this 
spirit, and against all those wlio have resisted our love 
and forbearance that are joined to it, must stand, and 
all that are out of our unity with the judgment are 
judged by it. Therefore, as all would stand before the 
Lord and his people, let not this spirit be reasoned 
withal ; enter not into proposals and articles with it, 
but feed it with judgment; that is God's decree: so 
may the souls that are deceived, come by the right door, 
into the heavenly unity. 

" My brethren, look forwards, and lift up your eyes; 
for the fields are even white unto harvest, up and down 
the nations. Remember the. great name of the Lord, 
and behold the great work that He is doing before all 
people ; whose saving health is visiting the world, and 
whose eternal word and testament is 2:oino; forth to 
gather the nations. Let that that will be unjust, be 
unjust still ; let the dead bury the dead; let us all who 
have received the gift from God, wait in deep humility, 
to be raised up and empowered by him, more and 
more, to eye and prosecute his universal service in the 
world ; to whose appearance the kings and kingdoms 
of the Gentiles shall bring their glory. Which noble 
work, had those who are gone into the separation but 
laid deeply to heart, they w^ould never have sat at 
home murmuring, fretting, and quarrelling against the 
comely and godly order and practice of their brethren : 



132 JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PEN?^. 

but love, peace, and joy had filled their hearts, and not 
the troiibler and accuser of the brethren, who hath 
opened an evil eye in them, and begotten them into a 
discontented self-separating mind, and this image they 
bear, and the pure eye sees it. 

''Oh, let none tempt the Lord ! Let none provoke 
the eyes of his jealousy : let us all dwell in that Divine 
sense that He hatli begotten in us ; where our love, as 
a fresh and pure stream, will always flow to God and 
to one another. Here, all his ways are pleasantness, 
and all his ]>aths are peace; for where He keepeth the 
house, who is Prince of peace, He will keep all in his 
heavenly peace. We are but as one family, and there- 
fore we have but one Lord and Master. We are but 
as one flock, and we have but one heavenly Shepherd 
to hear, who goeth before us, and giveth us eternal life 
to follow him. Jf any are offended in Him or in his, 
it is their own fault; if they faint and grow weary, 
we are truly sorry; if, through un watchfulness, the 
enemy hath entered, begotten coldness to the brethren, 
and- carelessness of embracing the opportunities by 
Avhich the unity is renewed and increased, so that 
what is done by the brethren without them is looked 
upon, first with a slight eye, and then with an evil 
eye, which begets distance, and this distance, in time, 
a separation, and separation continued, bringeth forth 
enmity, and this enmity, death itself, we are in our 
spirits truly grieved for them. However, the judg- 
ment of God must stand against them and that spirit 
that leadeth them, in which they gather not to God 



J.OURNAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 133 

but to tliemselves. Woe to them that strengthen their 
hands and despise counsel, they will have much to 
answer for before the Lord. I feel a slighting, scorn- 
ful, laughing spirit, often flying at me with its venom- 
ous sting ; but the Seed of life is over it, and the Lord 
God will destroy it. 

"Wherefore, Friends, in all places where this spirit 
hath had entrance, keep sound judgment upon it, if 
■you will keep j^our garments clean, and enter not into 
disputes and contests with it — it is that it seeketh and 
loveth — but go on in your testimony and business for 
the Lord, in the Lord's peaceable power and spirit; 
and his blessings an^ presence of life shall be with 
you; and in multiplying He shall multiply you; for 
no good thing will He withhold from you. We can 
say it of a truth, ^ God is good to Israel, and to all 
that are of an upright heart.^ And let us be of good 
cheer, for it is God's determination that the house of 
David shall grow stronger and stronger, and his branch 
shall increase and spread, and of his government, king- 
dom, and dominion there shall be no end. 

" Your faithful friend and brother in the service of 
our dear Lord, William Penn. 

" P. S. God's blessed work increaseth and pros- 
pereth in these lands, magnified be his everlasting 
name. 

"From on board tlie passage - boat] 
between Delfyzl and Embden, the > 
16tli of the Seventh month, 1677." J 
12 



134 JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENIf. 

We arrived at Eiiibden about tlie eleventli hour. 
Tliis is the city wliere Friends have been so bitterly 
and barbarously used, the like hath scarcely been 
known in any place where Truth hath broken forth 
in our day ; they having here been banished some 
thirty, and some forty times and above. The first 
family that received Truth in this city was Doctor 
John William Hasbert, a physician, and his wife; at 
whose house also the first meeting was set up among 
Friends, to wait upon the Lord by way of public tes- 
timony ; they are now both dead, but the memory of 
their fidelity is as precious ointment among the right- 
eous. • 

They were with me at a meeting six years ago, in 
this city ; and I remember the power of the Lord had 
that operation upon then), that I said to B. F. and 
T. R., then with me, it will not be long before they 
will publicly own and bear testimony in this place: 
and about three months after, he came forth, and she 
about a year after him. And from their fidelity and 
integrity, notwithstanding all the sore and bitter tem- 
pests of persecution, a fine meeting sprang; but at this 
day they are scattered, being still sent away as fast as 
they return.* 

* After Willi:uu Penn's first vi.sit to Embden in 107 1, he ad- 
dressed Dr. Hasbert an encouraging letter, earnestly recommending 
him to persevere in the path of duty cast up before him. Stephen 
Crisp, who many times visited these parts of the continent of 
Europe in the character of a minister of the Gospel, gives the fol- 
lowing interesting account of Dr. Ifasbert and the Eriends in 
Embden : "I had a meeting in his house upon the first-day of the 



JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENIS'. 135 

We visited his mother's family ; where we found 
three of his sisters in the love of Truth, his fourth 
sister being also a Friend, and is wife of John Glaus, 
living at Amsterdam. We had a little sweet comfort- 
week, in the first month, 1673 ; where many people of divers per- 
suasions heard the Truth declared, in great plainness and sim- 
plicity; and after some -time, those that were convinced were drawn 
in love to God to assemble together, to worship God in spirit and 
in truth, and in the silence of that fleshly wisdom that can speak 
when it listeth, and say what it listeth. At the first, they sat down 
about ten persons in Hasbert's house to wait upon the Lord : and 
when this was noised about the city, the wicked One stirred up the ' 
priests and rulers against them ; and they stirred up the rude and 
iguorij.nt people to assault them, mock, reproach, and revile them ; 
and the rulers fell quickly to fining^ imprisoning, threatening, and 
banishing those weak and tender plants, in an almost nnheard of 
manner. They banished some sixteen or twenty times, spoiling 
all they had, save their clothes, and at last fell upon them also — 
taking away their coats, boots, gloves, aprons, etc., and driving 
them through the streets almost naked, aboard the ships that were 
to carry them a^vay : all which and much more, by the mighty 
power of the Lord, did these innocent, harmless lambs bear with 
great patience and quietness, and were not dismayed at all at these 
cruelties : for the Lord had regard to his name, and to their in- 
nocent cry, and supported them, and doth support them ; and they 
have found it true, that those who wait upon the Lord renew their 
strength. Blessed be the Lord forever ! " — Crisp's Memoirs, p. 79. 
Persecution, however, did not cease as regards the Friends in this 
place for nine years after this visit was paid them by William 
Penn. It is a singular circumstance, that Avhen the mngistrates 
began to see their true interest, and the error of their cruel policy, 
they actually came to the resolution of. inviting the people called 
Quakers, both in Holland and in England, to come and settle 
among them, promising them protection, and that they should be 
well received. See Besse's Sufferings of Friends. 



136 JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 

able meeting witli them. After it, I returned to my 
lodging, and as I was writing to Doctor Andrews, 
president of the council of state, who is reported to 
have been the author of this cruelty to our Friends, a 
burden came upon me ; my writing would not serve 
the turn — I must go myself, and in the fear and name 
of the Lord, plead the innocent and suffering cause of 
our Friends with him. So away we went to his house. 
He was at first astonished to see what manner of men 
we were ; but after a little time, he comported himself 
with more kindness than we expected at his hand. I 
asked him, if he and the senate had not received a 
letter in Latin from an Englishman about two years 
since, concerning their severity towards the people 
called Quakers? He told me he had : I replied, I was 
the man, and I was constrained in conscience to visit 
him on their behalf; and I could not see how he, being 
a commonwealth's-man and a Protestant, could per- 
secute. 

I pleaded the unnaturalness, the unchristianity, and 
imprudence of such proceedings, and pressed our rea- 
sons earnestly, but tenderly, upon him. He assaulted 
us with several objections ;' but, blessed be the Lord, 
they were mostly fictitious, and therefore easily re- 
moved and answered. He also promised me, that if 
I would write to the senate a remonstrance of the case 
of our friends, and express my request to them, and 
enclose it to him, he would both present it and get it 
to be read, and make it appear that he was not so 
much our enemy as we looked upon him to be. I 



JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 137 

promised to send him some books, containing a defence 
of our principles, which were accordingly put into the 
hands of Elizabeth Hasbert, to deliver to him in my 
name. 

Having taken our leave of the old woman and her 
daughters, and a man Friend residing in that city, and 
left the blessings and peace of our God amongst them, 
we took ship for Lier, where we arrived the next 
morning. Thence we took wagon for Bremen, where 
we came safely, through the Lord\s goodness, on the 
18th; and met our friends and companions, George 
Keith and Benjamin Furly, who were come thither 
some hours before us from Amsterdam. In this city 
there is a work of the Lord begun, though yet ob- 
scurely : we had a travail upon our spirits, that the 
blessed and precious Truth of our dear Lord and 
Master might find a place to rest its foot upon. 

To that purpose we. wrote to tw^o ministers, under 
some suffering from their brethren, because of their 
great zeal %gainst the formality and deadness of the 
so-called reformed churches. This we sent by a mer- 
chant, wdiom we formerly met at Herwerden.- With 
some difficulty we got to them, but the person chiefly 
struck at was shy to speak with us : his reason was 
tiws — it was known that we were in town, and it was 
one of the accusations against him that he was a fos- 
terer of all the stran2;e relig-ions that came throuirh 
the town. Also he was then actually under process, 
and that the people who had heard of the innocency 

of his cause, conceived a prejudice against our name, 
12* 



138 JOUENAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 

though it might be without cause. Therefore he could 
not at present confer with us; and said he was sorry 
for it with all his heart, but what we should say to his 
brother should be the same as if it had been said to 
him; to whom he referred us. 

However, I took hold of his arm and said, " I have 
this message t'o deliver to thee, that I may disburden 
myself before the Lord,'' which was this: "Mind that 
which hath touched thy heart; let that guide thee, and 
do not thou order that : consult not witli flesh and 
blood, how to maintain tliat cause which flesh and 
blood in thy enemies persecuteth thee for." He an- 
swered, " Rather than I will betray that cause, or de- 
sert Christ, by God's strength, they shall pull my flesh 
off my bones." So he left us in his house, and truly 
we had a good time with his companion, the other 
minister, about three hours, testifying unto him that 
the day was come, and coming, in which the Lord 
would gather out of all sects tfiat stand in the oldness 
of the letter, into his own holy Spirit, life,#nd power; 
and that in this the unity of faith and bond of peace 
should .stand. And therefore, that he and all of them 
should have an eye to the Spirit of God in themselves; 
that, being turned to it, they might speak from it ; and 
that therein they would glorify God, and be edified. 
So we parted, leaving the man in a sensible and savory 
frame. We visited the merchant twice, and had a 
very good time with him ; the man is of a loving and 
sensible spirit, and the love of God opened our hearts 
to him. 



JOURI^AL OF WILLIAM PENN. 139 

We also visited Doctor Johannes Sophronius Cozack, 
an odd compositiun of a man. He has had great and 
strange openings ; hath written several scores of tracts ; 
is a great enemy to priests, and in society with none : 
of a merry, yet of a rough disposition, without any 
method or decency in his clothes, food, furniture, and 
entertainment. He wants but three years of fourscore, 
yet of wonderful vigor and acuteness. We were twice 
with him, and we have reason to think he was as lov- 
ing to us as to anybody. And truly, he did show at 
parting, some serious and hearty kindness: but we 
could fasten little upon him as to God's power, or any 
inward sense of us or our testimony ; yet we had little to 
object against what he said, too; nay, some things were 
very extraordinary. 

From him we went to Dr. Belingham, an English 
physician, a man of lowly and tender spirit, Avho re- 
ceived us in much love, lamenting, when we left him, 
that he had no more time with us. 

At the inn we had frequent opportunity to declare 
the way of Truth, and we must needs say, we were 
heard with patience and sobriety ; particularly by a 
doctor of law, w^ho lodged at the house, and an ancient 
man of Kiel in Holstein. We left books amongst 
them all ; and in the love and fear of God we took our 
leave of them on the fifth-day after dinner, and begun 
our journey towards Herwerden, the court of the Prin- 
cess, where we arrived on seventh-day the 22nd in 
the morning, every way Avell through the mercies of the 
Lord. We sent to inform her of our arrival, and to 



140 JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 

know what hour it would be convenient for us to visit 
her; who returned us this answer, — that being then 
employed in the business of her government, it would 
be the second hour in the afternoon before she could 
be at leisure. 

The time being come, we went to visit her, and 
found both her and the Countess ready to receive us ; 
which they did with much love and tenderness. I ob- 
served them to be much lower in their spirits than 
ever, and that our former opportunities had had a 
blessed effect upon them. That afternoon was em- 
ployed in the narrative of our travels, which they 
heard with great attention and refreshment. The 
whole discourse ended with a precious little meeting. 
The house being clear of strangers, they both earnestly 
pressed us to sup with them, which being not well able 
to decline, we submitted to. 

At supper, the power of tlie Lord came upon me, 
and it was a true supper to us, for the hidden manna 
was manifested and broken amongst us; yea, a blessed 
meeting it proved to us. Oh, the reverent tenderness 
and lowly frame of spirit that appeared this evening, 
both in the Princess and Countess. The French 
ViToman we found greatly improved, both in her love 
and understanding ; yea, she was very zealous and very 
broken, and was always with us on these occasions. 
After supper we returned to the Princess's chamber, 
where we stayed till it was about ten at night. At part- 
ing, I desired the Princess would give us such another 
opportunity next day, being the first-day of the week, 



JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 141 

as we had the last time we were with her : she an- 
swered me, '^ With all my heart : but will ye not come 
in the morning, too ? '^ I replied, " Yes, willingly ; 
what time wilt thou be ready to receive us?^' She 
answered, ^' At seven o'clock/^ 

About seven o'clock the next morning we came ; 
about eight the meeting began, and held till eleven, 
several persons of the city, as well as those of her own 
family, being present. The Lord's power very much 
affected them, and the Countess was twice much broken 
while we spoke. After the people were gone out of 
the chamber, it lay upon me from the Lord to speak 
to them two, the Princess and the Countess, with re- 
spect to their particular conditions, occasioned by these 
words from the Princess, "I am fully convinced : but 
oh, my sins are great ! " 

Whilst I was speaking, the glorious power of the 
Lord w^onderfully rose, yea, after an awful manner, 
and had a deep entrance upon their spirits ; especially 
the Countess's, so that she was broken to pieces : God 
hath raised, and I hope fixed, his own testimony in 
them. 

We returned to our inn, and after dinner we came back 
to the second meeting on that day, which began about 
the second hour in the afternoon : and truly, the rev- 
erent, blessed, sure word of life was divided aright, 
and a precious sense of Truth was raised in the meet- 
ing. There came more of the city than in the morn- 
ing, and we were much comforted in the Lord's power 
that was with us. For the Truth had passage, and the 



142 JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 

hungry were satisfied, and the simple-hearted deeply 
affected. 

This day at both meetings was one of the Princess's 
women, who never was at meeting before ; and she, 
though very shy of us the last time, became tender and 
loving to us ; — she was truly reached. Magnified be 
the name of the Lord, whose presence was with us, and 
whose arm stood by us ! After meeting, the Princess 
pressed us to stay and sup with her, pleading the quiet- 
ness of the family, and that they were alone. At sup- 
per, as the night before, it was upon me to commem- 
orate the goodness of the Lord, his daily providences, 
and how precious He is, in the covenant of light, to the 
dear children and followers of the light. Great was 
the reverence and tenderness that was upon the spirits 
of both Princess and Countess at that instant. After 
supper, we returned to the Princess's chamber, where 
we spent the rest of our time, in holy silence, or dis- 
course, till about the tenth hour, and then we repaired 
to our quarters. 



JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 143 



CHAPTER VIII. 

Further Keligious Service in the Family of the Princess — Graef 
of Donau — Parting Interview — Journey to Wesel — Letter to 
Countess of Homes, containing Narrative of Journey — Dus- 
seldorf — Meeting at Wesel — Ketui'n to Amsterdam — End 
of Letter. 



N 



EXT morning about eight o^clock we returned to 
the court, where the Princess and Countess were 
ready to receive us. The morning was employed in a 
very serious relation, concerning the affairs, practice, 
and sufferings of our Friends in England, with which 
they seemed greatly affected ; when, about the eleventh 
hour, the rattling of a coach interrupted us. The 
Countess immediately stepped out to see what was the 
matter ; and returned with a countenance somewhat 
uneasy, telling us that the young Princes, nephews to 
the Princess and the Graef of Donau, were come to 
visit her. Upon which I told them we should with- 
draw, and return to our lodging; but entreated, that 
forasmuch as we were to depart that night with the 
post-wagon, we might not be disappointed of a fare- 
well meeting with them ; and the rather, for that I had 
a great burden upon my spirit : which they readily 
complied- with, telling me, these persons would only 
dine and be gone. As we went to the door, the Coun- 
tess stepped before us, and opened it for us ; and as I 
passed by, she looked upon me with a weighty coun- 



144 JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 

tenance, and fetched a deep sigh, crying out, '^ Oh, the 
Climber and entanglements of this vain world ! they 
hinder all good." Upon which I replied, looking 
her steadfastly in the face, " Oh, come thou out of them 
then ! '' 

After we had dined at our lodging, something being 
upon me to write to the professors of religion of that 
country, I went up to my chamber, that I might be 
the more retired. Just as I was about the conclusion 
of the paper, came the steward of the house of the 
Princess, Avith this message, that the Princess entreated 
us to come to her; for the Graef of Donau had a great 
desire to see us, and to speak with us. This brought a 
fresh weight and exercise upon us; but committing all 
to the Lord, and casting our care upon him, we w"ent. 

Being arrived, the Graef approached us in French : 
at first he took no great notice of our unceremonious 
behavior, but proceeded to inquire of our success in 
our journey, and what we found answering our journey 
and inclinations. Then we fell to points of religion, 
and the nature and end of true Christianity, and what 
is the wav that leadeth to the eternal rest. After some 
short debate about complete sanctification in this life, 
Ave both agreed that self-denial, mortification, and vic- 
tory was the duty, and therefore ought to be the en- 
deavor, of every sincere Christian. 

From this, I fell to give him some account of my 
retreat from the world, and the inducements I had 
thereto, and the necessity of an inward work; with 
which he seemed much pleased. After this, he fell to 



JOURNA^OF WILLIAM PEISTiN". 145 

the hat, etc. This choketh, and the rather, because it 
telleth tales. It telleth what people are; it marketh 
men for separatists ; it is blowing a trumpet, and visi- 
bly crossing the world ; and this, the fear of man, 
(greatly prevalent with too many serious people in that 
land,) cannot abide, starteth at, and runneth away 
from. Howbeit, the Lord enabled me to open the 
thing to him : as, that it was no plant of God's j)lant- 
ing, but a weed of degeneracy and apostasy ; a carnal 
and earthly honor, the eifect, feeder, and pleaser of 
pride and of a vain mind ; and that nO advantage re- 
dounded to mankind by it ; — and liow could they, 
who ought to do all to the glory of God, use that vain 
and unprofitable custom, which cannot be done to the 
glory of God ? I entreated him seriously to consider 
with himself the rise and end of it; whence it came, 
what it pleased, and what that was which was angry 
if it had it not. 

I also told him of the sincere and serviceable respect 
which Truth substituteth in place thereof, and I ex- 
horted him to simplicity and poverty of spirit, to be 
like that Jesus whom he professed to be his Saviour, 
whose outside as well as doctrine pleased not the Jews ; 
— and so we parted. He took his leave of the Prin- 
cess, and then of us, with great civility. 

After he was gone, the Princess desired us to with- 
draw to her bed-chamber, and there we began our fare- 
well meeting. The thing lay weighty upon me, and 
that in the deep dread of the Lord ; and magnified be 

the name of the Lord, He overshadow^ed us with his 
18 K 



146 JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENIS". 

glory. His lieavenly, breaking, dissolving power 
richly flowed amongst us, and his ministering angel 
of life was in the midst of ns. Let my soul never for- 
get the divine sense that overwhelmed all. At that 
blessed farew^ell I took of them, much opened in me 
of the hour of Christ's temptation, !iis watchfulness, 
2)erseverance and victory; also about the ten virgins, 
what the true virgin was, the true oil, and lamp; and 
what the bridegroom, his door, chamber, and supper ; 
and in the conclusion of that stream of heavenlv melt- 
ing love, with which we were all deeply affected, I fell 
upon my knees, recommending them unto the Lord, 
with strong cries to him for their preservation, and be- 
sought the Lord's presence with us, and so ended. 

After some pause I went to the Princess, and took 
her by the hand, which she received and embraced 
with signs of a weighty kindness, being much broken. 
I spoke a few words apart to her, and left the blessing 
and peace of Jesus with and upon her. Then I went 
to the Countess, and left a particular exhortation with 
her, who fervently besought me to remember her, and 
to implore the Lord on her behalf. From her, I went 
to the French woman, and bid her be faithful and con- 
stant to that which she knew ; she was exceedingly 
broken, and took an aifectionate leave of us. 

Then I spoke to the rest, and took leave severally 
of them ; my companions did all the like. They fol- 
lowed us to the outer room ; and there it was upon 
me to step to the Countess, and once more to speak to 
her, and to take ray leave of her ; which she received 



JOUENAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 147 

and returned with great sense, humility, and love. So 
turning to them all, my heart and eye to the Lord, I 
prayed that the fear, presence, love and life of God, 
with all heavenly blessings, might descend and rest 
upon them, then and forever. 

We went to our lodging, cleared the house, exhorted 
the family, left books, and then took wagon for Wesel, 
about two hundred English miles from Herwerden. 
We rode three nights and days, without lying down 
on a bed, or sleeping, otherwise than in the wagon, 
wdiich was only covered with an old ragged sheet. The 
company we had with us made twelve in number, 
which much straitened us : they were often, if not 
always, vain, even in their relig:ious son2;s, which is 
the fashion of that country, especially by night; they 
call them Luther's songs, and sometimes psalms. We 
were forced often to reprove and testify against their 
hypocrisy ; to be full of vain and often profane talk 
one hour, and sing psalms to God the next, we showed 
them the deceit and abomination of. We passed 
through several great towns by the way, Lipstadt, 
Ham, etc. Many discourses we had of Truth, and 
the religion and worship that was truly Christian, and 
all was very well ; they bore what we said. But one 
tjiing was remarkable, that may not be omitted : I 
had not been six hours in the wagon, before a heavy 
weight and unusual oppression fell upon me ; yea, it 
weighed me almost to the grave, that I could almost 
say, my soul was sad even unto death. I knew not at 
present the ground of this exercise : it remained about 



148 JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 

twenty-four hours upon me. Then it opened in me, 
that it was a travail for the seed of God, that it miglit 
arise over all in them I had left behind, and that 
nothing might be lost but the son of perdition. Oh, the 
strong cries, and deep agonies, many tears and sincere 
bowings and humblings of soul before the Lord, that 
his holy sense, which was raised in them, might be 
preserved alive in them, and they forever in it ! that 
they might grow and spread, as heavenly plants of 
righteousness, to the glory of the name of tlie Lord. 

The narrative, from the 27th of the seventh month 
to the 9th of the eighth month inclusive, is inserted 
in the following: letter to the Countess of Homes. 



" For Anna Maria de Homes, styled Countess of 
Homes, at Herwerden in Germany. 

^' My dear friend ! 

" Oh, that thou mayst forever dwell in the sweet and 
tender sense of that Divine love and life which hath 
visited tliy soul, affected and overcome thy heart ! Oh, 
tell me, hath it not sometimes raised thy spirit above 
the world, and filled thee with fervent and passionate 
desires, yea, holy resolutions to follow Jesus, thy 
blessed Saviour, who hath given his most precious 
blood for thee, that thou shouldst not live to thyself, 
but to Him that hath so dearly purchased thee. 

" Oh, the retired, humble, reverent frame I have be- 
held thee in, Avhen this blessed life hath drawn thee 
into itself, and adorned and seasoned thee with its 



JOURNAL OF AVILLIAM PENN. l49 

own heavenly virtue ; beautifying thy very counte- 
nance, beyond all the vain and foolish ornaments of 
the wanton daughters of Sodom and Egypt; for 
therein are charms not known to the children of this 
world. 

"Oh, that this holy and chaste life may be always 
precious with thee ! and that thou mayst be forever 
chastely kept in the love and fellowship of it ! That 
out of this world's nature, spirit, and practice, thou 
mayst be redeemed by Him, who is the way, the truth, 
and the life; who, as thou watchest with holy vigi- 
lance, will not only daily manifest the devices of the 
enemy to thee, but save thee from him. For Christ's 
work in thee is thy sanctification, as it is in him, his 
Father's will ; as He said of old to his disciples, ' This 
is the will of God, even your sanctification.' 

" My dear beloved friend, be steadfast, immovable, 

without wavering ; and work out thy great salvation 

with fear and trembling ; and lose not that sweet and 

precious sense, which the Lord hath begotten in thee : 

it is soon lost, at least weakened, but hard to recover. 

Wherefore, let not the spirit of the world in any of 

i.ts appearances, vain company, unnecessary discourse 

or words, or worldly affairs, prevail upon the civility 

of thy nature ; for they will oppress the innocent life, 

and bring grievous weights and burdens upon thy 

soul, and prolong the coming of the Lord, whom thou 

lookest for, and put the day of thy redemption afar 

off. Oh, beware of this compliance ! Let me put thee 

in mind of that sensible resolution, so frequently and 
13* 



150 JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 

SO passionately repeated by thee : ^ II faut que je rompe. 
II faut que je rompe.^ Ah ! this speaketh a weight, 
this weight a sense, and this sense a strong conviction. 
Now, be assured, that till obedience be yielded to that 
present manifestation and conviction, the good things 
desired and thirsted after can never be enjoyed. 

" Wherefore, my dear friend, be faithful, and watch 
against the workings of the spirit of this world in 
thyself; that the nature and image of it in all things 
may be crucified, that thou mayst know an entire 
translation, with holy Enoch, and walk with God. 
Jesus, the holy Light, is this power of God, that killeth 
and maketh alive; and He is the heavenly Vine too — 
if thou abidest in him, thou wilt bring forth fruit: 
but if thou abidest not in him, thou vfilt not bring 
forth that fruit, in which his heavenly Father only can 
be glorified. Oh, see Avhat the mind daily abideth in ! 
]My soul is even ravished with the sense of that holy 
and quiet habitation ! ^In the world,' saith He, *you 
shall have trouble; however, be of good cheer, I have 
overcome the world : I am not of the world.' As if 
He had said: 'I am not of the world's ways, worships, 
customs, or fashions ; for whatever is of the nature 
and spirit of this world hath no part in me ; and as I 
am not of this world, neither are you of this world ; 
for I have chosen you out of the world ; out of the 
inventions, out of the w^orships and fashions of the 
w^orld. You are to leave them all, to come out of 
them all, and live and walk as pilgrims in the world ;' 
that is, strangers; to what? To the life and practice 



JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PE^^N. 151 

of the world; not using, but renouncing the vain cus- 
toms and ceremonies, yea, the whole conversation of 
the world; remembering that ^the friendship of this 
world is enmity with God.' And what ^ if the world 
hate you, it hated me first ;' and ' the disciple is not 
greater than his master, nor the servant than his Lord ;' ^ 
if you were ^of the world, the vv^orld would love you,' 
and not reproach and persecute you ; for the world 
loveth its own. Oh, my dear friend, that thou mayst 
be perfectly sensible what it is not to be of this 
world. 

^' But there is yet a further mystery in these words, 
not discerned of many, in whom some tenderness and 
inquiry is begotten, much less of the worldly Chris- 
tians. This world hath a false earth and a false 
heaven, a false foundation, and a false joy : not only 
gross wickedness, but iniquity in a mystery, inwardly 
and outwardly. The false prophet and dragon, and 
all their offspring, are here concerned. This is their 
world, that must be burnt with fire, that Christ is not 
of, nor his true disciples. The light of Jesus discov- 
ereth it ! He is that spiritual Solomon that giveth 
true judgment, and saveth the living child, the true 
birth ; giving it to the right mother, and not to the 
false pretender. All that hear his voice and follow 
him shall receive true light, discerning, and judgment, 
to whom all judgment is given ; they shall know his 
voice from man's. 

" There are two trees, of differing natures, that have 
contrary fruits and leaves. The one is the tree of life, 



152 JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENX. 

which is Christ ; the other the tree of death, and that 
is Satan. The frnit of the one giveth life — the fruit 
of the other bringeth death ; the leaves of the first 
heal — the leaves of the last poison. Many that dis- 
cern the tree cannot clearly distinguish the branches ; 
and those that see many anus and branches, cannot 
distinctly behold the leaves, much less the fruit. This 
cometh by the gradual discoveries and revelations of 
the light of Jesus, the Word of God, as it is daily 
received and daily obeyed. Yea, and that Word is 
the axe and sword of the Almighty, to cut it down : 
dailv feel the strokes of this eternal searchinij Liii;ht 
and Word at the very root of this corrupt tree, this 
evil one and his corrupt nature, works, and effects. 
For which end Jesus Christ is come, and therefore is 
called a Saviour, which is little known in truth to the 
Christians of this w^orld. 

"Ah ! my dear friend, thou knowest this W^ord, yea, 
thou hast felt it. Oh, hide it in thy heart! treasure it 
up in thy soul, and love it, and abide with it forever. 
Alas I whither shouldst thou go? He hath the words, 
and is the Word of eternal life : daily, therefore, watch 
and wait, that thou mayst be grafted more into him ; 
that tliou mayst live and grow by his virtue and life ; 
and that He may grow in thy heart, as among the 
first Christians, the holy followers of the persecuted 
Jesus. And when He searcheth thy wound, and cut- 
teth away thy dead flesh ; yea, when He separateth 
between tlie soul and the spirit of this world, and di- 
videth between joints and marrow; when He cutteth 



JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 153 

off the right hand, and plucketh out the right eye; 
watch unto prayer, and pray that thou mayst endure ! 
Keep the holy patience of this pure and living Word; 
and this very Word will keep thee in the hour of thy 
sharpest trials and sorest tribulations ! All virtue is 
in him ! He is a tried Word, a sure refuge ■ — the staff 
and strength of the righteous in all ages. He was 
David's teacher and buckler ; a light to his feet, and 
a lantern to his paths. Walk thou in the light thereof, 
and thou shalt not stumble: in this Word is life (as in 
the root), and this life is the light of men. They that 
receive and love the light of it wall therein receive 
Divine life from it to live to God. This is the bread 
of God that Cometh from God, and feedeth and leadeth 
up to God : by this only, that which is born of God 
liveth, and is nourished. This is that carcass to which 
the wise eagles gather ; and see thou gatherest to no 
other, and feedest on no other. This is that hidden 
manna that cometh from heaven ; that feedeth God's 
Gospel Israel. Tlie world hath a manna, but it per- 
isheth ; but this endureth forever : for it is not of 
man, nor from man, but immortal, and from God; 
hid from the knowledge of all the vain Christians in 
the world ; so that the Israel of God can say to the 
children of this world, and that in truth and right- 
eousness, ' We have bread to eat that you know not 
of.' For this manna wait daily, that thou mayst be 
strengthened in thy wilderness travel to the land of 
eternal rest: 

" Wherefore, ^ labor not for the bread that perish- 



154 JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 

etli/ that is, the bread of man's inventing and making, 
which Cometh from below, and profiteth not, because 
it giveth not life eternal. But labor thou, my dear 
friend, for the bread that never perisheth, that en- 
dureth forever, and that giveth life eternal to all that 
feed upon it. Oh, cast thy care upon this Word, love 
it and dwell with it; wait daily upon it, hear its voice 
only, and follow it; for it bringeth the soul to the 
eternal habitation of rest and glory. Yea, when all 
flesh shall wither, and the beauty thereof fade away, 
this Word, and they that are grafted into it, shall 
abide forever. Oh, that this may be thy choice, and it 
shall be thy diadem, and thy eternal crown of glory ! 
*' These are the fervent desires, and these the daily 
prayers of my soul, to the God of my salvation for 
thee; not only that nothing in thee may be lost, be- 
sides the son of perdition, but that thou mayst cast 
off every weight and burden, and that sin that doth 
so easily beset thee, that grieveth, boweth, and op- 
presseth thee, under the heavy weight of which thou 
groanest and sighest, that thy Redeemer would come 
from Zion to deliver thee. Give not heed to the 
enemy, the false accuser, who seeketh to devour that 
which is begotten of God in thee; neither look upon 
thine own sins, burdens, or weaknesses; but lift up 
thy bead, and look to Jesus, the author of thy blessed 
visitation, and wholly hunger and thirst after Him, 
the spiritual brazen serpent, that healeth and relieveth 
all who in faith and full assurance look to him. W^ant 
of looking to him, hearing and obeying him, and 



JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 155 

having true faitli in bim, is the cause both of all the 
presumption and despair that are at this day. He did 
no mighty things of old in those places where they 
believed not. 

" Oh, faint not, look not back, remember the holy 
ancients, the holy pilgrims of faith, the royal genera- 
tion of heaven ! Heb. xi. Thou believest in God, 
believe also in Him for the work's sake that He has 
already wrought in thee: He will minister to thee, as 
He was ministered unto by his Father's angels, in the 
hour of his abasement and great temptation. Watch, 
and be faithful, and thou shalt be a noble witness for 
the Lord. 

^' Once more let me expostulate with thee. Wouldst 
thou overcome the enemies of thy soul's peace, and 
enjoy the delightful presence of the Lord with thee? 
Then keep nothing back; let nothing be withheld that 
He calleth for; remember that Saul of old lost liis 
kingdom for keeping that alive which he should have 
slain ; and thou knowest what befell Ananias and 
Sapphira outwardly. But be thou like the poor wddow 
of old, that gave more into the treasury than all the 
rest, b'ecause they reserved the greatest part to them- 
selves : but she gave all she had. Oh, blessed are they 
that make no bargains for themselves ; that have no 
reserves for self, neither consult with flesh and blood, 
nor in any sense conform to the least ceremony, which 
is born of them ; but that submit their wills, in all 
things, to the Lord's, that they may be made perfect 
through sufferings. 



156 JOURNAL OF WII^LIAM TENN. 

"Read nie in tlie mystery of* life: I speak not of 
deserting or flinging away all ontward substance; but 
that thy heart may reign above all visibles, and make 
God its treasure, and never stick in anything of this 
lower world, or rest short of Christ, the eternal rest 
of all the seed of faith." 

Here beirinneth the narrative. 

"The Lord brought us w^ell to Wesel on the fifth- 
day after we left Herwerden, having some service by 
tiie way. At Wesel we had a good time with Dr. 
Schuler, and Rosendale, and the woman we mentioned 
to thee; but tlie tailor was shy and fearful of coming 
to us at the doctor's. 

" The next day, the 28th, we w^ent tow^ards Duys- 
burg, and visited the Schult or chief governor that 
night, whom w^e found at home; he received us with 
much kindness. His wife and sister, we fear, have 
been shaken in their good belief of our testimony 
since we were last there; some fowls of the air have 
devoured the seed that was sown. Oh, that sweet and 
tender frame, in wdiich we left them the time before ! 
However, the entrance w^e had upon the spirit of the 
Schult, a little consolated us. Hence we sent Maria 
Martha's friend a letter; desiring him to let us have 
his answer the next night at Dusseldorf, enclosed to 
Neander, when and where we might see him, either at 
Dusseldorf, Mulheim, or Duysburg ; and if it were 
possible, we would gladly visit the Countess of Bruck. 

" We got early to Dusseldorf next day, being the 



JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 157 

last day of the week : but Neaiider was gone to Mul- 
helm, in order to preach on tlie morrow; so that we 
were disappointed of our intelligence. 

" Next morning, the 30th, we went towards Cologne, 
and there arrived that evening. The day after, we 
had a good opportunity with Van Dinando and Do- 
cemius, at the house of the latter ; and that afternoon 
took boat back for Dusseldorf ; wdiere arriving next 
morning, we presently sent for Neander, who came to 
us, and three more in company. We had a blessed 
meeting with them, and with one of the three that 
came with him, our souls were exceedingly affected. 

^' The meeting done, they went away, but Neander 
returned. And first, of our letter to Mulheim. We 
found by him, as also at our return to Duysburg, that 
Kuper was so far from endeavoring our visit to the 
Countess, that he would not meet us himself, either at 
Dusseldorf, Mulheim, or Duysburg : nay, it did not 
please him to send us an answer, much less any the 
least salutation. I confess it grieved us now for Me- 
ander : the young man hath a zeal for God, and there 
is a visitation upon him, my soul desireth that it may 
not be ineffectual : but I have a great fear upon me. 
For this I know certainly, from the Lord God that 
liveth forever, and I have a cloud of witnesses in my 
brethren, that retirement and silence before God is the 
alone way for him to feel the heavenly gift to arise, 
and come forth pure and unmixed. This only can 
aright preach for God, pray to God, and beget people 
to God, and nothing else. But alas! his office in that 



158 JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 

family is quite another thing; namely, to perform set 
duties at fixed times; pray, preach, and sing, and that 
in the way of the world's appointments. His very 
office is Babylonish, namely, a chaplain ; for it^ is a 
popish invention. 

"In the good old times, godly Abraham, who was 
a prince, and Joshua a great general, and David a king, 
with many more, instructed their families in the knowl- 
edge and fear of God: but now people are too idle or 
too great to pray for themselves, and so they worship 
God by proxy. How can a minister of the Gospel be 
at the beck of any mortal living, or give his soul and 
conscience to the time and appointment of another? 
The thing in itself is utterly wrong, and against the 
very nature and worship of the new and everlasting 
covenant. You had better meet to read the Scriptures, 
the Book of Martyrs, etc., if you cannot sit and wait 
in silence upon the Lord till his angel move upon 
your hearts, than to upliold such a formal, limited, and 
ceremonious worship. This is not the way out of 
Babylon. And I have a deep sense upon my soul, 
that if the young man strive, beyond the talent God 
hatli given him, to answer his office, and fill up his 
place, and wait not for the pure and living Word of 
God in his heart to open his mouth, but either studieth 
for his sermons, or speaketh his own words, he will be 
utterly ruined. 

"Wherefore, dear friend, have a care thou art no 
snare to him, nor he to thee! Man's works smother 
and stifle the true life of Christ. What have you now 



JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 159 

to doj but to look to Jesiis, tlie author of the holy de- 
sires that are in you, who himself hath visited you. 
Tempt not the Lord, provoke not God. What should 
any man preach from but Christ? And what should 
he preach, people to but Christ in them, the hope of 
glory? Consider, nothing feedeth that which is born 
of God but that which cometh down from God, even 
the bread of God, which is the Son of God, who giveth 
his life for the w^orld. Feed it, and feed on it ; let 
none mock God, or grieve his Eternal Spirit, who is 
come to seal them up from the mouth of man, who 
hath deceived them, that Jesus the anointing may 
teach them and abide with them forever. 

^' Be steadfast and immovable ; and this will draw 
the young man nearer to the Lord, and empty him of 
himself, and purge away mixtures; and then you will 
all come to the Divine silence. And when all flesh is 
silent before the Lord, then is it the Lord's time to 
speak; and if you will hear, your souls shall live. Oh! 
my soul is in grea^ pain, that you may be all chastely 
preserved in that divine sense, begotten in your hearts 
by the eternal Word of God, that abideth forever; 
that nothing may ever be able to extinguish it. But 
more especially that thou, my dear friend, mayst be 
kept in faithfulness: for the Lord is come very near 
to thee, and thou must begin the work ; the Lord God 
expecteth it at thy hand. If one sheep break through, 
the rest will follow. Wherefore watch ; oh, Avatch ! 
that thou mayst be strengthened and confirmed ; and 
strengthen all that is begotten of God in that family 



160 JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 

by thy weighty, savory, and circonispect life. Oh, how 
is my soul affected w^ith thy present condition ! It is 
the fervent supplication of my heart that thou mayst, 
through the daily obedience of the cross of Jesus, con- 
quer and shine as a bright and glorious star in the 
firmament of God's eternal kingdom. So let it be, 
Lord Jesus ! Amen. 

" We tenderly, yet freely, spoke our hearts to him, 
before we parted ; which done, in God's love we took 
our leave of him at Dusseldorf, and got that night to 
Duysburg, being the third-day of the week. We first 
visited Dr. Mastricht, a man of a good natural tem- 
per, but a rigid Calvinist. I perceived by him that 
they held a consultation about seeing us at Bruck ; but 
they all concluded it was best to decline meeting with 
us, because of the Graef, he being ready to fling our 
name in reproach upon them, in his displeasure; and 
this would confirm him in his jealousies of them. 
This might excuse the Countess, but by no means 
Kuper; and if I had any sense, Mastricht was there 
with them upon design, to frustrate the hopes we had 
conceived of, meeting with her. We, from that, de- 
scended to other things of weight, and in love and 
peace parted. 

'^ From his house we returned to our inn ; and after 
supper we visited the Schult, who with much civility 
and some tenderness received us. His sister also came 
to us, and we had a good little meeting with them, 
and our God was with us ; and his pure and tender 
life appeared for our justification, and pleaded our iu- 



JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 161 

nocent cause in their consciences : and so we parted 
with them, leaving our Master's peace amongst them. 

" The next day we came to Wesel, being the 3rd of 
the eighth month ; where we understood by Dr. Schuler, 
that thy sister desired we would be so kind as to see 
her when we returned. Upon that we went and 
visited her; she received us very kindly. Thy bro- 
ther-in-law's two sisters were present ; we stayed with 
her at least two hours. Many questions she put to 
me, which I was glad to have an opportunity of an- 
swering, for it made way for a meeting. She entreated 
us to come again if we stayed, and told us our visit 
was very grateful to her : adding, that because we 
passed her by the last time, she concluded with herself 
we had no hopes of her; with more to that effect. 
From thence we went to Dr. Schuler's, who freely 
offered us his house for a meeting next day : and 
indeed, the man is bold, after his manner. 

" The next day about seven o'clock I wrote a billet 
in French to thy sister, to inform her of the meeting, 
to begin about eight : she came, and her two sisters 
with her. There were Rosendale, Colonel Copius and 
his wife, and about three or four more; and to our 
great joy the Lord Almighty was with us, and his holy 
power reached their hearts, and the Doctor and Copius 
thereby confessed to our testimony. 

" The meeting lasted about four hours: being ended, 

we took our leave of them in the spirit of Jesus, and 

so returned to our inn. The tailor was all this while 

afraid of coming to our inn, or to the Doctor's to the 

14* L 



162 JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENIs-. 

meeting: great fears have overtaken liim, and the poor 
man liveth but in a dry land. After dinner we visited 
Copius and Rosendale; and at Copius's we had a 
blessed broken meeting, he and his wife, Rosendale 
and his wife, witli another woman, wife to one Dr. 
Willick's brother, being present ; they were extremely 
affected and overcome by the power of the Lor<l — it 
was like one of our Herwerden meetings; indeed much 
tenderness was upon all their spirits. 

" This done, and having left books both there and 
with thy sister, we left Wesel with hearts full of joy 
and peace : and let me say this, that more kindness 
and openness we have scarcely found in all our travels. 
Oh, that this blessed sense may dwell with them ! A 
seed there is in that place, that God will gather, yea, a 
noble people He will find out; and I doubt not but 
there will be a good meeting of Friends in that city, 
before many years go about : my love is great to that 
place. Oh, how good is our dear Lord to us, who 
helpeth our infirmities, and carrieth through all oppo- 
sition, and feedeth us with his Divine presence, in 
which is life ! His candle hath hitherto rested on our 
tabernacle, and He hath made us glad in his own sal- 
vation : eternal glory be to his excellent name. 

" We immediately took a post-car and came next 
day, about two in the afternoon, to Cleve, where w^e 
had a very precious meeting at an honest procurator's 
house, who received us with much love : four or five 
more w^ere present, all grave and tender : our hearts 
were greatly affected with their love and simplicity. 



JOUENAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 163 

We also visited the Lady Hubner, who was kind 
to us. 

"The following mornhig, the Gth^ we set out for 
Nimeguen, and thence immediately to Utrecht, where 
we arrived that night, and took the' night boat for 
Amsterdam ; because of a pressure upon my spirit to 
be next day at the meeting, and the rather, having in- 
timated as much from Cologne. 

'^ We arrived in the morning at Amsterdam, where 
we found our dear friends generally well, the city 
much alarmed, and great curiosity in some, and desires 
in others, to come to the meeting. We had a very 
great meeting, and many people of note resorted : God's 
Gospel bell was rung, the great day of the great God 
sounded, and the dead were raised, so that much ten- 
derness appeared in several. Oh, blessed be the name 
of the Lord, whose work and testimony prosper ! 

" The next day was spent in divers affairs relating 
to the Truth. The day following, the 9th, we had a 
meeting with Galenus Abrahams, the great father of 
the Sociniau Menists in these parts, accompanied by 
several preachers, and others of his congregation : 
divers of our friends were also present. It continued 
about five hours ; he affirmed, in opposition to us, that 
there was no Christian church, ministry, or commission 
apostolical now in the Avorld ; but the Lord assisted us 
with his wisdom and strength to confound his at- 
tempts. 

" I intend a visit at the Hague to the Lady Over- 
kirk, sister of the Somerdykes, and some others who 



164 JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 

have sober characters of Truth and Friends; and 
thence to Rotterdam, where I have much to do, both 
with respect to meetings and the press. 

'' Thus, my dear friend, have I given thee a tedious 
narrative, yet I liope not altogether unpleasant. Per- 
haps the brevity of my letters hereafter may best 
apologize for the length of this : however, I consider 
two things — one is, that thou hast time enough, one 
time or other, to look over it; and next, that I have 
plentifully answered thy requests, and demonstrated 
I have not forgotten thee. 

*' Dear friend ! let us live and remember one another, 
now absent, in that Divine sense in which the Lord 
God dissolved our spirits when together. Oh, the unity 
of this faith, the purity of this love, and the bond of 
this peace ! The Lord Jesus be with thy spirit, and 
keep thee in this the hour of thy temptation, that thou 
mavst come forth as gold seven times tried: so shall 
thy testimony shine for the God that hath called thee, 
and He will reward thee with honor, glory, and eter- 
nal life. Amen. 

" ' Thus saith the Lord, I remember thee, the kind- 
ness of thy youth, the love of thine espousals, when 
thou wentest after me in the WMlderness, in a laud that 
was not sown.' Dear friend, consider this. Yet 
again: ^ The way of the just is uprightness; thou, 
most upright, dost weigh the paths of the just. Yea, 
in the way of thy judgments, O Lord, have we waited 
for thee; the desire of our soul is to thy name, and to 
the remembrance of thee. With my soul have I de- 



JOUENAL OF WILLIAM PENX. 165 

sired thee in the night ; yea, with my spirit within me 
will I seek thee early ; for when thy judgments are in 
the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn right- 
eousness. Lord, thou wilt ordain peace for us ; for 
thou also hast wrought all our works in us. O Lord 
our God, other lords besides thee have had dominion 
over us ; but by thee only will we make mention of 
thy name. Lord, in trouble have they visited thee ; 
they poured out a prayer when thy chastening was 
upon them. Thy dead men shall live, together with 
my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye 
that dwell in the dust, for thy dew is as the dew of 
herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead. Come 
my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy 
doors about thee ; hide thyself, as it were, for a little 
moment, until the indignation be overpast. For, be- 
hold, the Lord cometh out of his place to punish the 
inhabitants of the earth for their iniquities ; the earth 
also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover 
her slain.' 

^^ So come, dear Lord Jesus, who was dead, and is 
alive, and liveth forever. Amen. Very dearly fare- 
well. 

^' Thy friend, that faithfully travaileth for thy re- 
demption, William Penn. 

"Amsterdam, tlie 10th of the Eighth month, 1677." 



166 JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 



CHAPTER IX. 

Meeting with G. Abrahams — Interviews witli different Persons — 
Has an interesting Interview with a retired great man at Won- 
derwiek — Delft — Public Meetings — Letter to Princess Eliza- 
beth — Letter to Countess of Homes — Embarks for Home — 
Arrives at Harwich — Salutation to Friends of Holland and Ger- 
many — Epistle to those under Suffering in Holland and Ger- 
many. 

ON the 10th of eiglith month, at Amsterdara, we 
had a blessed public meeting, never to be for- 
gotten. Oh, the majesty, glory and life, with which the 
Lord attended us ! Our hearts were deeply aifected 
with his presence; great reverence and brokenness was 
over the meeting, more than I had seen. The meeting 
done, we were opposed by a preacher, who was closely 
encountered and pursued by several merchants, etc., 
(not of us,) who cried, he was rude and ignorant, and 
that they had a testimony for us; and offered to dis- 
pute in our defence, but the priest ran away ; they fol- 
lowed him till they housed him ; but what followed I 
know not. 

It was upon me this day to engage Galenus Abra- 
hams to a second conference, that we might more fully 
debate and confute his grand objections against the 
present dispensation of Truth, and the heavenly minis- 
try, witnessed among Friends. He refused not my 
offer of a second meeting; but sent me word, his busi- 
ness would not give him leave to let it be any time this 



JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 167 

day. Upon which, the next morning was fixed for the 
conference, to begin at eight o'clock; which accordingly 
it did, and held till one. The account of both the con- 
ferences Is not yet found, but with the latter some of 
his own friends seemed better satisfied, and it ended 
very comfortably to us, because to a general satisfac- 
tion. 

The meeting thus ended, and having refreshed our- 
selves, after a solemn leave taken of our dear friends 
at Amsterdam, George Fox and myself went that night 
to Leyden, accompanied by Benjamin Furly ; coming 
there late at night, we forbore to inquire after any 
worthy in that place. 

But the next morning we found out two, one a Ger- 
man of or near Darmstadt, who not only expressed 
much love to the principle of Truth, and unto us the 
friends thereof, but also informed us of a retired 
person of great quality, that liveth about two hours 
back again towards Aiiflterdam, at a village called 
Wonderwick. Our resolution of being that night at 
Rotterdam, and having the Hague to visit by the way, 
made our return at that time impracticable : however, 
the relation of the German concerning the good incli- 
nations of the great man and his wife, their disdain of 
the world, and voluntary retreat from the greatness and 
glory of it, rested strongly upon our spirits. This 
person presently conducted us to the house of one who 
had formerly been a professor in the university ; and 
there left us. 

To this person both George Fox and myself were 



168 JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 

more than ordinarily open : lie was of a sweet, yet 
quick, of a wise, yet very loving and tender spirit: 
there were few strangers towards whom we felt greater 
love. He assented to everything we said : and truly 
his understanding was very clear and open to the things 
that lay upon us to declare. He expressed his firm 
belief of great revolutions at hand, and that they should 
terminate in the setting up of the glorious kingdom of 
Christ in the world. 

AVhat shall I say ? The man felt our spirits, and 
therefore loved us, and in the fresh sense of that love, 
wrote a letter by us to a retired person at the Hague, 
like himself: which, in several places of Germany, was 
the way whereby we found out most of the retired 
people we visited. After nearly two hours, time with 
him, we took wagon for the Hague, leaving the peace 
of God upon him. 

The first thing we did there, was to inquire out the 
Lady Over kirk, a person t5f a retired and religious 
character, separated from the public worship of that 
country : she was at home, but her husband with her; 
and being a great man of the army, of another dispo- 
sition and way of living, hindered our access at that 
time. 

The next person we went to was a judge of the 
chief court of justice in that republic. He received 
us with great respect, and a more than ordinary desire 
to know the truth of our faith and principles. We 
declared of the things most surely believed amongst 
us, in the power and love of God. He made his ob- 



JOUENAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 169 

servations, objections, and queries upon several tilings 
we spake ; to whom we replied, and explained all mat- 
ters in question ; insomuch that he declared himself 
satisfied in our confessions, and his good belief of us 
and our principles. We took a solemn and sensible 
leave of him, and we felt the witness of God reached 
in him, and his spirit tendered ; which filled our hearts 
with dear love to him : he brought us to his street door, 
and there we parted. 

From him we went to visit that person for whom we 
had a letter from the doctor at Leyden ; but he was not 
at home. We immediately took wagon for Delft, and 
from thence an express boat for Rotterdam, where we 
arrived about eight o'clock at night. 

The 13th of the month was mostly spent in visiting 
Friends, and the friendly people in that place, who 
consisted of several persons of worldly note. 

The next day, being the first-day of the week, we 
had a large and blessed meeting; wherein the deep 
mysteries of the kingdom of Christ and antichrist were 
declared, in the power of an endless life. Several of 
divers religions were there, but no disturbance or con- 
tradiction ; a profound silence and reverent attention 
were over the meeting.* 

That night I had a blessed meeting at my lodging, 
with those persons of note, who at some times had vis- 
ited our public meetings, as on that day; and they 

* A person then convinced, [says W. P.J though the world pre- 
vailed, died lately, acknowledging it, and cried out, "How happy 
had I been, if I had then obeyed ! " 
15 



170 JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 

have a convincemeiit upon them : the Lord's love, 
Truth, and life preciously reached towards them, and 
they were very sweetly affected. 

Next day I bestowed in perfecting and correcting 
several public letters, which I was moved to write 
both in my first and second journey in Germany, and 
after my return to these Low Countries. The titles of 
them follow : — 1. "A Summons or Call to Christen- 
dom, in an earnest expostulation with her, to prepare 
for the great and notable day of the Lord, that is at the 
door." — 2. " Tender Counsel and Advice, by way of 
Epistle, to all those wdio are sensible of the day of 
their visitation, and who have received the call of the 
Lord by the light and spirit of his Son in tlieir hearts, 
to partake of the great salvation, wherever scattered 
throughout the world ; but more especially in the High 
and Low Dutch nations : faith, hope, and charity, 
which overcome the world, be multiplied among you." 
— 3. " To all those Professors of Christianity, that are 
externally separated from the visible sects and fellow- 
ships in the Christian world, so called, wherever hid- 
den or scattered ; true knowledge, which is life eternal, 
from God the Father, by Christ Jesus." — 4. "A ten- 
der Visitation, in the love of God that overcometh the 
world, to all people in the High and Low Dutch na- 
tions, who hunger and thirst after righteousness, and 
desire to know and worship God in truth and in sin- 
cerity ; containing a plain testimony to the ancient and 
apostolical life, way and worship that God is reviving 
and exalting in the earth, in his Spirit and Truth." 



JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 171 

The sense of the serious retreat of the great man we 
heard of at Leyden was so strong upon me, that I 
could not see myself clear to leave the country before 
I had given him a visit. I purposed therefore the 
next morning, the 16th, to set forward to the Hague, 
from thence to Leyden, and so to AVonderwick. 

I arrived there in the evening with Benjamin Furly, 
A. Sonnemans, and M. Sonnemans ; and immediately 
made known our coming, and the end of it, to him and 
his wife by means of the young German, who was got 
thither before us, to visit them. An invitation came 
to us all at our inn ; and immediately we repaired to 
his house, w^hich was very stately, and yet plain. He 
presently came to us, took us by the hand, and bid us 
heartily welcome. We immediately sat down ; and 
after some time of retirement, I spoke something of 
what was upon me, yet not before he had given us a 
sober and pathetical account of his life, and of the 
present frame and disposition of his spirit. 

All this was in the absence of his wife : but so soon 
as I had finished what was then upon me to speak of 
the witness of God, and of its work in man, upon the 
occasion of the history he gave us of his life, he led us 
into another room where his wife was. He told her, 
here were some Christian Friends come to visit her : 
she saluted us very kindly. 

We all sat down ; and after some silence, the heavenly 
power of God did in a living and tender manner open 
their states and conditions to me, and open my mouth 
to them. The substance of my testimony was to this 



172 JOTTRXAL OF WILLIAM PENX. 

purpose, that death reigned from Adam to Moses ; 
Moses was till the prophets, the prophets till John, and 
John till Christ: what Christ's day was, how few see 
this day; and whilst people are talking of being in 
Christ under grace, and not under the law, death 
reigneth over them, and they are not come to Moses, 
nor the shaking or quaking mountain, the thunder- 
ings, lightnings, and whirlwinds : and what was that 
way which led to Christ; and what it was to be in 
Him, and under the government of his grace ; direct- 
ing them to the blessed light of Christ, Spirit of Truth, 
and grace, which God had shed abroad in their hearts. 
I declared the nature and manner of the appearing and 
operating of this S})irit, and appealed to their own 
consciences for the truth of what was said: and I can 
truly say, the holy life of Jesus was revealed amongst 
us, and, like oil, swam on the top of all. In this sense 
I was moved to kneel down and pray ; great broken- 
ness fell upon all ; and He who w^as before the world 
began, Vv'as richly manifested in and amongst us. 

The meeting being done, the great man and his wife 
blessed us, and the work of God in our hands; saying, 
with tears in his eyes, ^' My house is blessed for your 
sakes, and blessed be God that I ever lived to see you.'' 
And thus we left them, though with much difficulty; 
for they pressed us with great earnestness,, both to eat 
and to lodge with them; and it was hard for them to 
bear our refusal. They said it was a scandal to their 
liouse that they should let such good people as we were 
go out of it, or suffer us to lodge at any other place : 



JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 173 

but we declared our pre-engagement elsewhere, and 
that it was not for want of true kindness towards 
them. 

One passage I had almost forgotten to mention : "I 
was," said he, ^^ once at a table with the Duke of Hol- 
stein at Fredericstadt, when the magistrates came to 
complain against a people called Quakers in that city. 
The Duke was ready to be prejudiced against them; 
but at the very naming of them, I conceived a more 
than ordinary kindness in my mind towards them. 
I asked the magistrate. What they were for a people ? 
He told me that they would not pull off their hats to 
their superiors. I asked him. Whether they would pull 
off their hats to God ? He said, ' Yes.' Said I, ' That 
may be the reason why they will not pull them off to 
man. Do they live peaceably ? ' ^ Yes.' ' Do they 
pay their taxes ? ' ^ Yes.' ^ Do they rub their hats in 
your eyes?' ^No.' ^Do they do any harm with 
them ? ' ^ JSTo.' ^ Why, what is your quarrel then ? ' 
' They meet in silence, and they will not speak or 
pray, unless they be moved by the Spirit.' ' Why 
that is according to the doctrine of Scripture : if this 
be to be a Quaker, I would I were a Quaker too.' 
But," said he, '^ I never saw one before, but I bless 
God I see you now." He very much inveighed against 
the false Christianity that is in the world, and greatly 
magnified a tender, mortified and retired estate. I 
have great hopes he and his wife will die in the Truth. 
We returned to our inn to supper and to bed. 

Next morning we took wagon for the Hague, where 
15 1 



174 JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PEI^JT. 

we met with Docemius, the King of Denmark^s Resi- 
dent at Cok)gne, who had been at Rotterdam to seek us, 
and came back thither, with hopes to meet us. We 
had some service there with a lawyer ; but were again 
disappointed of visiting the Lady Overkirk, because of 
her husband's presence ; and the other retired man 
before mentioned was again from home: the judge 
would gladly have received us, but a great cause then 
depending commanded his attendance. That afternoou 
we took boat for Delft, and so to Rotterdam, where we 
all arrived well. 

It was my desire to have been the day following at 
a meeting at Dort ; but it seems, tlie way that we hoped 
had been open for us, was shut; insomuch that we 
were prevented of that service. However, I ai)plied 
myself to the perfecting of what yet wanted to be 
completed in those writings I left behind me to be 
printed. 

The next day, being the 19th of thq eighth month, we 
had a very blessed public meeting, therein taking our 
leave of the country. And after that was done, we 
had another amongst Friends, recommending to them 
the peaceable, tender, righteous Truth ; desiring that 
they might live and grow in it, and be a people to the 
Lord's praise ; so should his work prosper, his domin- 
ion be enlarged and increased among them. In the 
evening, I had also a meeting at my lodging, among 
the great people of that place, of which I have 
before made mention. And magnified be the name of 
the Lord, his power did so sweetly visit them, and 



JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 175 

effectually reach tliem, that at their departure some of 
them fell upon our necks, and with tears of love prayed 
that they might be remembered by us, and that they 
might have strength to answer our great travail for 
them. We recommended them unto the Lord, and tlie 
pure word of his grace in their hearts. 

The next day the generality of Friends of that place 
met at Simon Johnson's house early in the morning ; 
where we took our leave of one another, in the love and 
power of the Lord, feeling his living presence with 
them that stayed, and with us who went. 

Several accompanied us to the Briel, where we ar- 
rived about noon. There accompanied us the King of 
Denmark's Resident at Cologne, who had been with us 
at those meetings at Rotterdam, P. Hendricks and C. 
Rocloffs of Amsterdam, and A.. Sonnemans, Benjamin 
Furly, M. S. and S, J., with several others of Rotter- 
dam. The packet-boat not being come, we were neces- 
sitated to lie there that night. 

That night it was upon me, in the earnest love of 
God, to salute the Princess and Countess with a few 
farewell lines, as followeth : 

" To the Prineess Elizabeth. Salvation in the cross : 

Amen. 

" Dear and truly respected friend : 

" My soul most earnestly desireth thy temporal and 
eternal felicity; which standeth in thy doing the will 
of God now on earth as it is done in heaven. Oh, dear 



176 JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENi^. 

Princess, do it ! Say the word once in truth and right- 
eousness, ^Not my will, but thine be done, O God!' 
Thy days are few; and then thou must go to judg- 
ment;* then an account of thy talent, God will require 
from thee. What improvement hast thou made? Let 
it prove and show its oWn excellency, that it is of God, 
and that it leadeth all that love it to God. Oli, that 
thou mayst be able to give an account with joy! 

" I could not leave this country, and not testify the 
resentments I bear in my mind of that humble and 
tender entertainment thou gavest us at thy court : the 
Lord Jesus reward thee ! And surely He hath a bless- 
ing in store for thee. Go on : be steadfast, overcome 
and thou shalt inlierit. Do not despond; One who is 
mighty is near thee — a present help in the needful time 
of trouble. Let the desire of thy soul be to his name, 
and to the remembrance of him ! Wait upon the Lord, 
and thou shalt renew thy strength ! the youths shall 
faint, and tlie young men shall fail, but they that trust 
in the Lord shall never be confounded. 

^' I wish thee all true and solid felicity, with my 
whole soul. The Lord God of heaven and earth have 
thee in his keeping ; that thou mayst not lose, but 
keep in that Divine sense, which by his eternal Word 
He hath begotten in thee. Receive, dear Princess, my 
sincere and Christian salutation. Grace, mercy and 
peace be multiplied among you all that love the Lord 
Jesus. 

^'Thy business I shall follow with all the diligence 

* " She died about four years after," adds W. P. in a note. 



JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 177 

and discretion I can, and by the first opportunity give 
thee an account, after it shall please the Lord to bring 
me safe to London. All my brethren are well, and 
present their dear love to thee and the rest in thy fam- 
ily that love Jesus, the Light of the world. Thou hast 
taught me to forget thou art a Princess, and therefore I 
use this freedom ; and to that of God in thee am I 
manifest; and I know my integrity. Give, if thou 
please, the salutation of my dear love to Anna Maria 
de Homes, with the enclosed. Dear Princess, do not 
hinder, but help her. That may be required of her 
which, considering thy circumstances, may not yet be 
required of thee. Let her stand free, and her freedom 
will make the passage easier unto thee. Accept what 
I say, I entreat thee, in that pure and heavenly love 
and respect in which I write so plainly to thee. Fare- 
well, my dear friend, and the Lord be with thee ! 

^^ I am, more than I can say, thy great lover and 
respectful friend, 

" William Penn. 

" P. S. I refer thee to the enclosed for passages. We 
visited Giftall and Hooftman, and they us. They were 
at one or two of the meetings at Amsterdam. Vale in 
ceternum ! ^^ 

" For Anna Maria de Homes, styled Countess of Homes, 

" Jesus be with thy spirit : Amen. 

" Beloved, and much esteemed for the sake of that 
love which is raised in thy heart to the eternal Truth of 

M 



178 JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 

God, the increase of wliicli I earnestly desire, that 
thou mayst be more than conqueror, through the 
powerful workings of that Divine love in thy soul, 
which casteth out all false fear and overcometh the 
world. In this eternal love it is that I love thee, and 
would be loved of thee: blessed are they that hold 
their fellowship in it. It is pure, harmless, patient, 
fervent and constant: in fine, it cometh from God, and 
leadeth all that receive it to God. Indeed, it is God; 
and they that liv^e in love, live in God. If we keep 
and abide in Pllni who hath visited us, we shall always 
feel this love as a fountain ; and wonderful are the ef- 
fects of it. It can lay down its life for its friend ! It 
will break through all difficulty, and hath power to con- 
quer death and the grave. This transcendeth tlie friend- 
ship of the world, and the vainglorious honor of the 
courts of this world. This kindness is inviolable: our 
purest faith worketh by this love. Oh, the tenderness 
of that soul in which this love liveth and hath place! 
the humility and compassion that always keep it com- 
pany ! 

" And who can lively enough describe the lovely 
imao-e it liveth, the attractinor and eno-a^ino; conversa- 
tion it hath! But it is discerned and greatly valued 
by the children of love, who are born of it, which all 
the children of light are. AVhat shall I say ? It is the 
great command, and it keepeth all the commands ; love, 
pure and undefiled, fulfilleth the law and Gospel too: 
blessed are they that feel any of this love shed abroad 
in their hearts. 



JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 179 

'^ With this love it is that God hath loved us; and 
b); the power of this love, Christ Jesus hath died for 
us. Yea, it is this love that quickeneth us to Jesus, 
that inflameth our souls with pure and ardent love to 
him, and zeal for him : yea, it is this holy love tliat 
[engages to] forsake father and mother, sister and 
brother, husband, wife and children, house and land, 
liberty and life for the sake of Jesus; that leaveth the 
dead to bury the dead, and follo^veth Jesus in the narrow 
way of regeneration ; that can trust Him in the winds 
and in the earthquakes, in the fire and in the waters, 
yea, wdien the floods come in even unto the soul, this 
despondeth not, neither murmureth. 

" And as it cannot despair, so it never presumeth ; 
yea, it can triumphantly say. What shall be able to 
separate me from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus? 
Shall principalities or powers, things present or things 
to come, shall life or death ? Oh, no, neither time nor 
mortality ! 

"■ My dear friend, let this noble plant of paradise 
grow in thy heart. Wait upon the Lord, that He 
would water it, and shine upon it, and make an hedge 
about it ; that thy whole heart may be replenished with 
the heavenly increase and fruits of it. Oh ! that thou 
mayst grow in thy inner man, in wisdom, strength and 
a pure understanding ; in favor with God, and with all 
people that are in the same nature and image : for the 
world only loveth its own. 

" I hoped not to have been so quick upon my last 
long letter; but God's pure love, which hath redeemed 



180 JOURNAL OF AVILLIAM PENN. 

me from the earth, and the eartlily nature and spirit, 
moved fervently upon my spirit to visit thee once more 
before I leave this hind. I deferred it to tliis extremity ; 
and being not clear to go hence, I send thee my Chris- 
tian salutation, in this pure love that many waters can- 
not quench, distance cannot make it forget, nor can 
time wear it out. My soul reverently boweth before 
the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, that it 
would please Him to preserve thee. Fear him, and 
thou needest not fear ; for the angel of the Lord en- 
campeth about those that trust in his name. The angel 
of his eternal presence guard thee, that none of the 
enemies of thy soul's peace may ever prevail against 
thee ! Perseverance and victory be thy portion in this 
world, and a crown of endless glory be thy reward in 
that which is to come. Amen ! 

"Since my last (being the next day after the date 
thereof) we had a meeting with Galenus Abrahams and 
his company : the success thou mayst perhaps see sud- 
denly in print ; and therefore I shall defer the narrative : 
only in general, our dear Lord, our staff and strength, 
was with us, and Truth reigned over all. 

" That night we went to Leyden, where we visited 
some retired persons. Thence, next day, to the Hague, 
where also we had a little meeting. Oh, the lust and 
pride of that place ! Thou camest into my mind as I 
walked in the streets; and I said in myself, ' Well, she 
hath chosen the better part.' Be faithful, and the Lord 
will give thee an eternal recompense ! 

'^Thence we came to Rotterdam, where the Lord 



JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 181 

hath given us several heavenly opportunities in private 
and public. We are now come to the Briel, and wait 
our passage. Tlie Lord Jesas be with you that stay, 
and with us that go, that in Him we may live and abide 
forever. 

'' Salute rae to my French friend ; bid her be con- 
stant. I wish thy servants, felicity ; but thine as mine 
own : God Ahnighty overshadow thee, hide thee under 
his pavilion, be thy shield, rock and sanctuary forever. 
Farewell, farewell ! 

" Thy friend and the Lord's servant, 

" William Penn. 

"Briel, 20tli (30th) Eighth month, 1677." 

Next morning, the 2 1st, the packet boat arrived; 
and about ten o'clock we went on board, having first 
taken our solemn leave of those Friends that accom- 
panied us thither. We immediately set sail with a 
great number of passengers : but by reason of con- 
trary and tempestuous weather, w« arrived not at Har- 
wich till the 24th about the sixth hour. Whence 
next morning, I wrote this following salutation and 
account to the Friends of Holland and Germany to 
return with the boat. 

" My soul magnifieth the Lord, and my spirit re- 
joiceth in God my Saviour, who hath rebuked the 
winds and the seas, and made us to drink of his salva- 
tion upon the great deeps. Yea, we could not but 

praise Him in the tempest, for all things are full of 
IG 



182 jour:n^al of william penn. 

his majesty. Blessed is the eye that seeth, and the heart 
tliat dependeth upon Him at all times! There is not 
another God ; He is the Lord alone, whom the holy 
ancients trusted in, and were not confounded. What 
shall my soul render unto the Lord ? We are full of 
his mercy; He hath made us witnesses of his care. 
We can say in righteousness, they are blessed whose God 
is the Lord, and that serve all the day long no other 
master than our God. 

" Friends, this is an endeared salutation to you all^ 
in High and Low Dutchland, in the deep and fresh 
sense of the Lord's preserving power. Oh ! that you 
may abide in that sense of Him, which he hath begotten 
in you, and in the reverent knowledge of him, according 
to the manifestation which you have received of him, 
in the light of his dear Son ; that you may be faithful 
and fervent for the Lord ; that his glorious life and 
power may break through you ; and these lands, long 
dry and barren as the wilderness, may spring and 
blossom as the rose. For what have we to do here, but 
to exalt Him who hath visited and loved us, yea, saved 
us in great measure? Ah, He is worthy! my spirit 
reverenceth him, my heart and soul do bow before him : 
eternal blessings dwell forever with him. 

^' Dear Friends, my love floweth to you as a fountain. 
God, even my God and your God, hath made you dear 
to me ; yea, dearer than all natural kindred. You are 
flesli of my flesh indeed. Nor sea nor land, nor time nor 
place, can ever separate our joy, divide our communion, 
or wipe out the remembrance that I have of you. 



JOUENAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 183 

Yea, the living remembrance, which my God often 
giveth me of you, in the life of his Son, abideth ; which 
breaketh my heart to pieces; and I can say, I left 
much of my heart behind me, and the Lord alone 
could have outwardly separated me so soon from you. 
This love is stronger than death, more excellent than the 
love of women ; for it endureth forever : this privilege 
have all the saints. Jesus, the Light of the world, 
who saveth from the world, be with you. Amen. 

a w^e gQ\^ yvoW last night at about seven o'clock to 
Harwich, being three days and two nights at sea : 
most part of the time there was a great storm of wind, 
and rain, and hail ; the weather was against us, and the 
vessel so leaky, that two pumps went night and day, 
or we had perished. It is believed that they pumped 
twice more water out than the vessel could contain ; but 
our peace was as a river, and our joy full. The seas 
had like to have washed some of the seamen overboard, 
but the great God preserved all well. Frights were 
among the people, and despondencies in some ; but the 
Lord wrought deliverance for all. We were mightily 
thronged, which made it the more troublesome. 

" But it is observable, that though the Lord so 
wonderfully delivered us, yet some vain people soon 
forgot it, and returned quickly to their wanton talk and 
conversation, not abiding in the sense of that hand which 
delivered them : nor can any do it as they should, but 
those who are turned to his appearance in their hearts ; 
who know Him to be a God nigh at hand ; which, oh, 
may it be your experience and portion forever! 



184 JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 

" And the Lord be with you, and refresh and sustain 
you, and in all your temptations never leave you nor 
forsake you; that conquerors you may be, and in the 
end of days and times, stand in your lot among the 
spirits of the just made perfect. Amen, amen. 

" Yours in that which is eternal ! 

" William Penn. 

" P. S. Let this be sent to Friends in High and Low 
Dutchland. 

"Harwich, 24th of the Eighth month, 1677." 

At Harwich, I left dear George Fox and Gertrude 
Diricks and her children, who came over with us, to 
follow me in a coach : but having a desire to be that day 
at Colchester meeting, I Avent early away on horse- 
back, George Keith accompanying me. We got to the 
meeting, and were well refreshed in Friends. 

That evening we had a mighty meeting at J. Furly's 
house, where we lay ; many of the town being there, 
who would not come to a public meeting. And indeed 
the Lord's Divine power and presence were in the 
assembly. 

Next day, the 26th, we had a great meeting at a mar- 
riage, where we had good service for the Lord. That 
afternoon about four o'clock we took horse for London ; 
George Fox and the others, through the miscarriage of 
a letter about the coach, not being come to Colchester. 
That night we lay at I. Eavens, eight miles on our way. 
There we met Giles Barnardiston and William Bennet; 



JOUKNAL OF WILLIAM PENK. 185 

with whom, and some other Friends thereabout, we 
were comforted in the life and power of the Lord. 

The day following, we took our journey for London, 
and came there in good time that evening; where I 
found all things relating to Friends in a good con- 
dition : blessed be the name of the Lord. I stayed about 
a week in town; both to visit Friends at meetings, and 
to be serviceable in the more general affairs of the 
Truth. 

The fifth-day of the next week I went to Worming- 
hurst, my house in Sussex, where I found my dear 
wife, child and family all well : blessed be the name 
of the Lord God of all the families of the earth. I had 
that evening a sweet meeting amongst them, in which 
God's blessed power made us truly glad together ; and 
I can say, truly blessed are they who cheerfully give 
up to serve the Lord ; great shall be the increase and 
growth of their treasure, which shall never end. 

To Him that was, and is, and is to come ; the eternal, 
holy, blessed, righteous, powerful, and faithful One, be 
glory, honor and prais6s, dominion and a kingdom, for- 
ever and ever ! Amen. William Penn. 

At London, the following letter from the Princess 
Elizabeth came to hand. 

" Herfokd, the 29th of October, 1677. 
" Dear friend : 

" Your tender care of my eternal well-being doth 
oblige me much, and I will weigh every article of your 
16* 



186 jotjr:n^al of william penn. 

counsel to follow as much as lies in me ; but God's ffrace 
must be assistant; as you say yourself, He accepts 
nothing that does not come from him. If I had made 
me bare of all worldly goods, and left undone what He 
requires most, (I mean, to do all in and by his Son,) I 
shall be in no better condition than this present. Let 
me feel him first governing in my heart, then do what 
He requires of me ; but I am not able to teach others, 
being not taught of God myself. 

'^Remember my love to George Fox, Benjamin 
Furly, George Keith, and dear Gertrude.* If you write 
no worse than your postscript, I can make a shift to 
read it. Do not think I go from what I spoke to you 
the last evening; I only stay to do it in a way that is 
answerable before God and man. I can say no more 
now, but recommend to your prayers, 

" Your true friend, Elizabeth. 

"P. S. I almost forgot to tell you that my sister 
writes me word, she had been glad you had taken your 
journey by Osnaburg to return -to Amsterdam. There 
is also a drossard of Limburg near this place, (to whom 
I gave an exemplar of Eobert Barclay's Apology,) very 
desirous to speak with some of the Friends." 

Another letter was received some time after, in an- 
swer to one which he had written to her while in Hol- 
land, being as follows. 

*This was Gertrude Diricks, who had visited the Princess. She 
afterwards came to live in England, and was married to Stephen 
Crisp. 



JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 187 

"This 17th of November, 1677. 
" Dear friend : 

" I have received a letter from you, that seemeth to 
have been written at your passage into England, which 
I wish may be prosperous, without date, but not with- 
out virtue to spur me on, to do and suffer the will of 
our God. I can say in sincerity and truth, ' Thy will 
be done, O God ! ^ because I wish it heartily ; but I 
cannot speak in righteousness, until I possess that right- 
eousness which is acceptable unto Him. My house and 
• my heart shall be always open to those that love Him. 
Gichtel has been w^eil satisfied with the conferences be- 
tween you. As for my business, it will go as the Lord 
pleaseth, and remain in him, 

"Your affectionate friend, Elizabeth." 

The following short Epistle, written to Friends in 
Germany, etc., who were under severe persecution, is 
a beautiful specimen of the Christian sympathy of our 
author, and the religious consolation which he was 
capable of imparting, viz. 

" To all suffering Friends in Holland or Germany, par- 
ticularly in Fredericstadt and in or near Dantzic. 

" RiCKMANSWORTH, 1st of Seventh month, 1673. 
" My dear friends : 

"In God's everlasting Truth, and that heavenly 
power, strength, and dominion that stand therein, doth 
my soul very dearly salute you all, who have tasted of 
the invisible and heavenly life, that is made known 



188 JOURNAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 

unto those who have been begotten into the living way 
of light and righteonsness. Oh ! pleasant are tiie out- 
goings of the Lord to and in his children, whose minds 
are truly stayed upon Plim, and are freely resigned up 
to his all-wise disposal ; — such shall abound in the joy 
of God's salvation, even in sufferings, persecutions, 
tribulations, yea, deaths, and every peril that may 
attend your most holy faith. Therefore, hold up your 
heads, and be ye comforted, little flock ! your Shepherd 
will not fly, though the wolf come. Know your Shep- 
herd, and dwell with him, and He will bring you into 
sweet and green pastures, in the midst of your enemies. 
Consult not with flesh and blood, to know what may 
be the cause of your trials, how you may shun them, 
or which way you may keep mammon and a good con- 
science too ; but eye the Lord, without whose provi- 
dence a sparrow falls not to the ground. No new or 
strange thing can happen unto you: dwell in the faith 
that works by love, and that will cast out all fear which 
begets any staggering from yoiir holy testimony. Re- 
member that many eyes are upon you, and as you acquit 
yourselves in this exercise that may quickly be suffered 
to come upon you, so will God's Truth be well or illy 
spoken of; for people will measure your most holy 
way by you. The way they see not — you they will 
behold; what know ye, but the Lord is now preparing 
and brightening you for further service, both where 
you live and in other places. In the light of Jesus, 
the just man's path, live and walk, that to the end you 
may endure ; so shall you glorify God, answer their 
labors who have travailed among you, and obtain unto 



JOUENAL OF WILLIAM PENN. 189 

yourselves eternal salvation. So, clear hearts ! be still, 
quiet, and given up in life and death. God's great 
work is going on : He comes upon the world in a storm, 
and sometimes to his children, that they may be the 
more Aveaned from the world, that people may be the 
more stirred up to mind them, and that Truth may -be 
more effectually manifested through their self-denial, 
patience, and resolution. Stand then, be valiant, and 
keep your minds to the invisible life, which is felt in 
the light ; and then, I am persuaded, neither principal- 
ities, nor powers, nor life, nor death, nor any other 
thing, shall be able to separate you from the love of 
God, that hath been and daily is revealed to you in 
Christ Jesus, the Lamb of God, and Light of the world. 

" The God of all peace keep your minds and spirits 
in perfect peace, amidst the greatest trials and dis- 
quiets from without, that you may finish your testi- 
monies with us, to His eternal praise who hath called 
us, who is over every name worthy, even God, blessed 
forever. Amen, amen ! 

" Your fellow-feeling brother in the unchangeable 
Truth, William Penn.^ 

^' P. S. Truth greatly prevails in these islands, and 
grows daily famous over the heads of its peevish op- 
posers : and Friends, who have heard lately of you, 
travail and sympathize with you ; you are not alone, 
and He that is in you, is greater than he that is in the 
world. Farewell." 

THE END. 



